Scotland

Drumsagard Village

Before: The derelict and contaminated former Hallside Steelworks stood redundant and apparently unusable for 15 years after its closure in 1979. The site had been allocated for residential development but the technical problems posed by the 33 hectare site did not provide an incentive for prospective house builders. To the south west of the steelworks lay extensive areas of further dereliction including a former nailworks, two colliery spoil tips, an unlined landfill and a fuel briquette works which blighted the area.  However much of this land was designated as greenbelt. (Photo: Air Fotos Ltd.)

After: A solution was devised which traded brownfield reclamation for greenbelt release. The Banks Group fully funded the restoration of the steelworks to greenbelt as part of a comprehensive development including the new housing area known as Drumsagard Village. The village lies on the land formerly occupied  by the colliery heaps (known as bings in Scotland), nailworks, fuelworks and landfill. This environmental transformation from brownfield to greenfield now provides an attractive landscape setting for the new community. (Photo: Air Fotos Ltd.)