Network examines the advantages of brownfield regeneration scheme

Planning, 15 August 2008

A large number of regeneration events has been set up by various organisations with a range of prices and target audiences, so RTPI networks are seeking different ways to promote learning among their members. A recent event on brownfield regeneration shows how the networks are developing ways for practitioners to learn.

Network events tend to be small, free, informal and short. They cover one topic each and limit numbers to allow maximum participation. A sandwich and a cup of tea help networking. We rely on network members, who are all volunteers, and partner organisations to squeeze us into a boardroom, local community centre or even a portable cabin.

How could we hold an event on brownfield regeneration? We considered network members' existing knowledge about the topic and what they might want to know. We thought about how the subject could be made interesting and useful, whether there was an alternative to looking at PowerPoint slides all day and how we could partner with other networks or organisations.

Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) offered to host an event on brownfield sites that have been regenerated using organic compost. This provided an unusual angle and the opportunity for the RTPI environmental planning and protection network to endorse it. This brought members from different networks together and helped them exchange knowledge.

WRAP suggested a site visit to Polkemmet in Scotland. The location met the network's aim to hold events all over the UK. The former opencast colliery in West Lothian is being transformed into two championship golf courses, leisure facilities and housing.

The project is the first of its kind in Scotland and is supported by WRAP. Up to 15,000 tonnes of quality compost are being used to construct six fairways of championship golf courses. Ultimately, more than 150,000 tonnes of compost may be used in the regeneration of the entire site.

Years of opencast and deep mine operations left the site with more than four million cubic metres of colliery waste, devoid of any soil and in desperate need of remediation. The site owners, Ecosse Regeneration, wanted to regenerate the land in a sustainable and cost-effective way, avoiding the traditional method of importing fresh topsoil.

Ecosse signed up to WRAP's trailblazer programme, after it funded a pilot study on-site. This involved mixing compost of a BSI-approved standard with screened colliery shale at various ratios to make fresh soil media that were then seeded with turfspace species.

The trailblazer programme is intended to help developers, designers and contractors realise the financial and environmental benefits of specifying quality compost in brownfield projects. The compost for the project is being sourced from local suppliers. In addition to the fresh soil manufacture process, trees have been rescued from nearby spoil heaps on the site and from extension works on the M8 motorway. These trees will be replanted in the golf courses.

The event was well received. One network member said: "I thought that it was excellent. It is a fascinating project, which for some reason has not got a great profile. However, the scale and innovation is very interesting and I came away knowing a lot more."

After the event, a briefing note was posted on the network website and mentioned in a weekly email bulletin that goes out to all members, so anyone who had not been able to attend could still learn from the day. This complemented the usual bulletin content, which includes links to news items, events and other resources on brownfield regeneration and many other aspects of regeneration.

The RTPI regeneration network was the first to be established and has pioneered the sharing of knowledge among members through events, bulletins, policy responses, good practice notes and conference presentations.

Catherine Middleton is regeneration network manager. Helen McCulloch is a consultant at Trimedia who provides publicity for WRAP. If you would like to join the network, please visit www.rtpi.org.uk/regeneration_network or email regeneration@rtpi.org.uk.