A FORMER colliery that produced tons of coal for 150 years will be transformed into a zero carbon village after the government gave the go-ahead for more than £19m in funding to be released.
More than 650 homes made from sustainable materials and packed with eco-friendly features will be built where Bickershaw Colliery once stood in Leigh.
New life
Mining ceased in 1992 and the site is now part of the Homes and Communities Agency's National Coalfields Programme, a major regeneration scheme designed to breathe new life into derelict collieries.
The cash will be used to build a new road and prepare the land for the Bickershaw South development.
It will also be used to tackle contamination at the site, which will include a canal boat marina, bars and restaurants.
Deborah McLaughlin, regional director of the Homes and Communities Agency, said: "We are delighted that work is to start on the Bickershaw South development, which represents a major priority for the HCA.
"Our significant investment in infrastructure works demonstrates HCA's commitment to delivering mixed-use regeneration in deprived communities, as well as providing a boost to local construction employment."
Bickershaw South was named last year as a Carbon Challenge site - a national plan for every new home by 2016 to been carbon zero.
Turbine
A two megawatt wind turbine will provide energy for the homes.
The 162-acre site, Wigan's largest area of derelict land, is owned by the Northwest Development Agency, which is working in partnership with English Partnerships and other organisations on the project.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Development Agency, said: "With the release of this funding, we will be able to fully remediate the site and create and attractive prospect at Bickershaw for future private investors.
"I'm delighted we can make progress on a project which is important in securing the economic future of Leigh."
It will be the largest coalfield regeneration scheme in the country. The homes will be built with materials from sustainable sources and use minimal amounts of water - 80 litres per person per day.
Their design will ensure they stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, reducing electricity consumption.
Golf course
It is hoped future funding will be secured for later phases of the development, including a country park, an 18-hole golf course, a driving range and an outdoor activity centre at Bickershaw North, known as The Rushes.
Martin Kimber, Wigan Council's director of environmental services, said: "The investment in both projects is aimed at promoting economic, social and environmental opportunities to the local community. They will also improve the image and attractiveness of the area."
He added: "Whilst we accept that funding is not available currently to complete both phases of the scheme due to the current economic climate, we want to reassure people we have not abandoned the plans."
MPs Andy Burnham and Ian McCartney met previous housing minister Margaret Beckett amid concerns the work would be delayed by the economic downturn and asked her to release funds to `kick start' the project.
Mr Burnham said: "I have always seen this development as a crucial step in the ongoing regeneration of the Leigh area."
Tweet
£19m eco village rises from ashes
August 07, 2009
COLLIERY Bickershaw produced coal for 150 years
Showing comments 1 to 20 and replies | View All
Zimmerman, manchester (07/08/2009 at 10:49)
Thomas The Tank, Rusholme (07/08/2009 at 11:37)
On the ball as usual ;-) It is as you say just plain and simple logic, to build every new home in an ECO friendly and more importantly energy saving way. We shall see now who comes up with facts and figures etc.........on how forward thinking we are? MY A**E, we will continue building second rate energy consuming habitats as you quite rightly state, until finally the penny drops? But by then as usual we will be 30 years behind everyone else.
Mr Angry, Bury (07/08/2009 at 11:59)
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (07/08/2009 at 12:13)
I hope the houses have good foundations to deal with any subsidence.
Zimmerman, manchester (07/08/2009 at 12:33)
I just like the statements that councils like MCC state that they are leading the world ?And then allow the developers to build even more outdated homes and appartments. Planning offices should now state to developers that planning permission will only be given to homes that comply with the new energy saving homes ,"HEAT PIPES,Insulation,Solar panels and other power saving systems.But i agree with you about being 30 years out of date.Even these power monitors that i have fitted only cost a few pounds and how long will it take for councils/governments to impliment them.
Rick D'alaglio (07/08/2009 at 13:40)
Thomas The Tank, Rusholme (07/08/2009 at 14:41)
With respect. Just another load of statistical jargonism as usual. I don't doubt some of what you state, but lets face it by the time the statistical power game has been played YET AGAIN! We will still end up with totaly inefficient second rate none energy saving houses and still lag 30 years behind everyone else. Lets have it straight now?
Joe Pub, Manchester (07/08/2009 at 16:11)
Joe Pub, Manchester (07/08/2009 at 16:17)
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (08/08/2009 at 09:59)
The Geology under the lancashire coalfield especially round Wigan,Leigh and Astley must be like swiss cheese by now, with old and rotting wooden props holding millions of tons of earth under these eco houses
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (08/08/2009 at 10:14)
Zimmerman, manchester (08/08/2009 at 10:40)
We had a lot more forrest then ,we loose a forrest as big as most of britain most weeks.
citycentre, manchester (08/08/2009 at 11:08)
Possibly becasue cutting down a tree and turning it into a ship or a house releases very little carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, while digging up millions of tonnes of coal and extracting vast ammounts of oil from underground, then burning it does.
Zimmerman, manchester (08/08/2009 at 13:33)
Mr Angry, Bury
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (08/08/2009 at 21:00)
Citycentre: Why were we being told then that the rain forests being depleted were contributing to global warming throughout the late eighties and nineties, The rain forests help to control the climates in a huge way, or so we were told
steve wilson (09/08/2009 at 11:20)
until the likes of China and the USA start to reduce their toxic outputs nothing will change substantially!
pester these people if you really want to make a difference;boycott their products and stop buying designer clothes and sportswear made in the sweatshops of the third world if you want them to listen!
bye the way for all those smug people who like to say their are doing their bit by buying a prius-more damage is done to the atmosphere in producing 1 of these than I do by plodding along in my 19 year old banger that I will keep as long as I am able as to scrap it will cause more damage to the environment.
Zimmerman, manchester (09/08/2009 at 11:47)
China and america are now comming into line with other countries,american cars are getting smaller and the factories are meeting new rules on carbon output the same goes for china.
steve wilson (09/08/2009 at 12:57)
We in Britain are taxed to the hilt over eco issues which if all were tackled would make less than 2% difference globally so as I stated whatever we achieve will make a VERY small difference and so I believe that we should be more concerned in getting people back into work before we sink any farther into the mire as a nation!
Theowolfe (09/08/2009 at 13:28)
It is green nonsense. Like all religons, environ-mentalism needs to be expose as the sham that it is.
citycentre, manchester (10/08/2009 at 17:04)
Don't konw, I suppose it would depend on what happens to the wood, and land, after the forests are removed.
If the wood is kept in tact, for building etc, then there is little increase in atmospheric carbon, and if crops are grown on the land (or more trees) then any that is released would be recycled back into plant material.
If the trees are burned, then all the carbon they contained is released into the atmosphere in one go, alomg with that from soil fungus, and dead material on the ground; if the land freed up is then used for beef production this removes little carbon from the atmosphere.
There is also the question of scale, there are a lot more people around now than in medieval times, so if the rate of tree removal per person remains constant, then more people means a lot more trees lost.
Theowolfe
Carbon may or may not be a direct problem for most people, it will, however, present some challenges to marine life; as carbon dioxide levels increase in the atmosphere, so more dissolves in the sea, making it more acidic. This is bad news for sea life dependent on calcium carbonate for shells or exoskeltons, as they may become non viable. Since this includes much of the base of the food chain the effects could be dramatic.
The Royal Society published a lengthy report on the subject in 2005.