Deal unlocks plan for major Derbyshire logistics hub

Deal unlocks plan for major Derbyshire logistics hub

A joint venture featuring the owners of Ward Recycling has revealed plans to build a huge logistics hub on the former Stanton Ironworks after securing a deal for the site. 

Verdant Regeneration, which is made up of the owners of Ward, along with Trust Utility Management, has bought the 192-acre former steelworks at Ilkeston from St Gobain.

The two companies, which already have existing facilities adjacent to the site, have ambitious plans to turn the land into a national distribution, logistics and rail freight hub called New Stanton Park.

David Ward, director at Verdant Regeneration, said: “This is a hugely significant site in the local area which was once a major manufacturing centre for the region.

“As local businesses with a strong heritage in the area, we see this as a real chance to create a new legacy for Ilkeston. It will unlock potential for long term business opportunities and future jobs for Derbyshire and the wider region."

Since 2007, the former Stanton Ironworks land has been subject to a number of failed attempts to secure a future for the site that was once a major employer in Ilkeston.

Dating back to the 1800s, at its peak it employed over 7,000 people as part of the British Steel Corporation Tubes Division.

Mr Ward, added: “There are existing private rail links into the site, which join into the national rail network.

“Toton Sidings and the proposed HS2 depot are less than a mile away. This provides a great opportunity for taking materials, goods and HGVs off the roads and onto the railway.

“There is a long journey ahead, but we are working with Erewash Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council, combined with a range of experienced consultants to develop the site.

“The ambition is to make the site sustainable by encouraging eco-friendly businesses and increasing biodiversity, for example, ensuring the future of the Ilkeston Fishing Club, which is important to many local residents. We want to create something that we can all be proud of.”

With the sale now complete, preliminary work will start early next year and the team will look to submit an outline planning application to the borough council by early summer.

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