St Paul’s and RVA Group help revive former West Yorkshire chemical works.
The site of a former chemical works is being brought back to life by commercial property specialist St Paul’s Developments plc, creating future employment opportunities for West Yorkshire.
Despite the recession, the South Yorkshire-based developer is forging ahead with plans to transform the chemical production facility at Common Lane, Knottingley, into a mixed-use site that will potentially include offices and light industrial units as well as housing and associated amenities.
Managing Director (Technical) David Elliott said: “Whilst other property developers appear to be hibernating, St Paul’s is continuing with its site acquisitions and development activities, ensuring ongoing investment in regeneration sites in Yorkshire and beyond, despite the economic downturn.
“Unlocking a site of this kind can ultimately achieve significant benefits for the community. Our re-development of Common Lane over the next five years will create a range of job opportunities to offset losses incurred in recent times.”
The Knottingley plant, which officially closed last summer, provided jobs for the last 70 years in the production of final and intermediate products for the chemical market. Its list of previous owners includes Midland Yorkshire Tar, Croda, Shell, Inspec and Degussa.
Decommissioning the 25-acre plant is however a complex process, not least because it remained a top tier COMAH site until very recently. Many of the chemicals it produced – to aid the manufacturing of antioxidants, sun screen agents, and agrochemicals for example – were of a hazardous nature. The decontamination process required to bring the plant to a ‘known state’ in readiness for demolition, must therefore be strictly regulated to prevent avoidable operative and third party exposure.
For that reason, St Paul’s has brought in leading project managers and construction design management (CDM) co-ordinators RVA Group, to oversee the removal of asbestos and residual waste, demolition, dismantling and complete clearance of the site.
On the site until the end of August, RVA will deliver a bespoke and closely controlled engineering strategy for the decommissioning, decontamination and isolation of process plant, tankfarms, storage facilities, laboratories and offices – many of late 1940s origin.
In addition to bringing down the various low level structures, a 50m chimney stack close to the Aire and Calder Navigation Canal, will be demolished using one of the tallest long reach excavators in the UK. The Hitiachi excavator has a 60m telescopic boom and 120 tonne base.
Commenting on the project to date, David Elliott said: “We have never worked with RVA before but we have been very impressed by the company’s professional and meticulous approach. Work is progressing well.
“Once all structures have been removed, the next step will be to finalise the planning application before commencing with ground reclamation works.”
The use of an 80+ metre crawler crane to dismantle an MAN gasholder in Southport near Liverpool has attracted considerable media interest. However, as our first-ever Project Profile podcast highlights, the use of the crawler crane was hampered by high winds and the CDC Demolition team were forced to adapt and overcome to keep the high profile project on schedule.
