News: New McDonald's in Rotherham opens

A new McDonald's restaurant has opened in Rotherham creating 70 full-time equivalent jobs.

Developer Keystone Yorkshire identified its site for a new Drive-Thru restaurant in Dinnington. At Campbell Way and Nobel Way the land is designated as employment land on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery which has been reclaimed and transformed as part of a successful regeneration scheme.

The development on the vacant plot comprises a modern freestanding single storey restaurant with drive-thru, car parking, landscaping and associated works.

With indoor and outdoor seating for customers, the proposals also include 60 on-site car parking spaces for customers, including 2 disabled spaces and 3 cycle spaces.

Applicants said that the plans would create 100 jobs (70 full-time equivalent jobs).

McDonald's Restaurants recently secured a licence to serve late night refreshment (Indoors & Outdoors) from 11pm to 5am, which effectively grants permission for the Dinnington restaurant to be in operation 24 hours a day.

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The Dinnington site was opened this week by franchisee Franco Ventura of Ex Animo Foods Ltd, alongside representatives of Rotherham Titans. Local lad Franco spent 30 years working for McDonald’s in various roles including Vice President of Operations North. Ex Animo Foods Ltd now has ten locations in South Yorkshire.

Planning permission for the new site was approved when the planning board at Rotherham Council went against the recommendation of officers.

Planners at Rotherham Council recommended that the planning board reject the proposals stating that: "by virtue of its range and quality of employment opportunities, it has little positive contribution to the borough and would not meet the criteria."

Assessing the reaction to the plans from the local community, members of the planning board discussed how they disagreed with the officer and were instead satisfied that the range and quality of employment opportunities did meet the criteria for the land use allocation.

A motion was presented to grant approval for the plans, which also highlighted that the proposal would support the continued regeneration of Dinnington and add to the similar uses nearby - namely the Monk's Bridge Farm pub, Greggs, petrol filling station and takeaway units.

McDonald’s has more than 1,450 restaurants across the UK and Ireland and employs more than 135,000 people.

McDonald’s website

Images: McDonald’s Rotherham / Facebook

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News: Maltby Solar Park plans submitted

Plans have come forward for another solar farm near Rotherham, an area where plans for the much larger Whitestone development cast a large shadow.

Infinis Solar Developments Ltd has submitted a planning application to construct a solar energy park at Holme Hall Quarry, Maltby Colliery.

Infinis is the UK’s leading generator of low carbon power from captured methane, capturing the gas from landfill sites and abandoned mines and convert it to electricity.

Although called Maltby Solar Park, the application site boundary covers approximately 17.76ha at Stainton, and crosses two local planning authority boundaries; Rotherham and Doncaster. The above ground development will solely be within Doncaster, the only development within Rotherham area will be underground cabling to the existing grid connection at Maltby Colliery.

The site forms part of the green belt and has been used for colliery spoil and is now capped off as part of a restoration scheme.

The plans for the solar park would involve 14.4ha of solar PV panels mounted on metal framework up to 3m high in rows and also inlcudes a battery energy storage system (BESS). It would be in operation for a period of up to 40 years.

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Applicants say that the site is "grey belt land" and that their approach is to develop on brownfield land that ensures other greenfield local spaces and agricultural land are retained.

ICP consultants for the applicant add that: "The proposed development reuses a previously disturbed site associated with Maltby Colliery and will operate for 40 years."

Some mitigation measures are included - 1.2ha new native tree and shrub planting, 770m new hedgerow, with retained woodland and scrub and 831m of enhanced native hedgerow for landscape mitigation and biodiversity.

Plans have recently been submitted for Thurcroft Interchange Energy Park with plans also being put together for a 25 MVA solar farm west of Firsby Lane between Hooton Roberts and Conisbrough.

Rothbiz has previously reported on Whitestone Solar Farm, which if constructed, would generate up to 750MW of energy, enough to power up to 250,000 homes. It would be the largest solar farm in Yorkshire and one of the largest in the UK.

Infinis website

Images: 3i / infinis

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News: Owners consider changing colliery restoration scheme

The reclamation of Maltby Colliery in Rotherham and a scheme that will see the Green Belt returned into woodland and grassland could be revised again.

Owned and operated by Hargreaves Services plc, the 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013.

It had been expected to continue coal production until 2025 but the winding tower was brought down in 2014 and the mine shafts have been filled and capped. With the sudden closure, the future restoration scheme, included in the planning permission for the mine's operation, was re-examined and plans were approved in 2017.

The scheme involved cut and fill operations and the importation of 1.32 million tonnes of suitable fill material and 150,000 tonnes of soil making materials.

Estimated to take six years, it was proposed to progressively restore the former colliery tip to beneficial after-uses, including amenity grassland, agriculture, public access and nature conservation enhancement areas, and temporary ancillary and associated activities.

Owners say that due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions the ongoing reclamation scheme is approximately 12 months behind schedule.

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Now new plans are being drawn up, with the main change being to infill the existing lagoon void on the south east part of the tip and plans to quarry for materials before the creation of a platform for employment use on the Northeast part of the pit yard.

Equipment auction company Ritchie Bros. UK completed a purchase of the land and remaining buildings at the heart of the site in 2022. The Canadian firm has been hosting auctions at Maltby since 2019.

Consultation documents show that the new scheme will require the importation of approximately 2 million cubic metres of suitable fill, including soil making materials, to September 2033.

The documents add: "It is proposed to develop a quarry on the north east part of the Pit Yard, south of the Colliery Tip. The quarry proposals provide for the extraction of 3.9 million tonnes of magnesian limestone to supply local markets and those further afield." This area would then be backfilled to create a development platform for beneficial employment use.

"The proposed development will provide up to 35 jobs on-site, additional jobs for those importing fill and exporting mineral by rail and road and spend in the economy including for services from local suppliers."

With approximately 300,000 tonnes per annum of fill, and the export of minerals at 200,000 tonnes per annum, this could generate an average of 128 HGV movements (64 in/64 out) per working day. The existing rail head could also be brought back into use.

Consultants are working on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with an environmental statement set to be submitted to Rotherham Council before a detailed planning application later in 2024.

Hargreaves website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Maltby pit owner submits plans for houses

A planning application has been submitted for 200 houses on the site of the former Maltby Colliery, where underground operations ceased in 2013.

The 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome. The employment site has been taken on by Ritchie Bros., the world's largest auctioneer of heavy equipment and trucks, for its UK location, with the rest of the site undergoing restoration.

Now an outline planning application from Hargreaves Land shows that a site to the west of the colliery is coming forward for new housing.

The 29.5 acre site is currently a mix of green space, including informal allotments and a recreation ground, between Highfield Park, Tickhill Road and the colliery.

The land was allocated for residential use - 150 dwellings - in the Council's local plan. It is close to where Jones Homes are planning to build hundreds of new houses at Grange Lane.

Plans, drawn up by Gerald Eve consultants and Edward Architecture, show that the new development would include a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached houses of between two to four bedrooms. A minimum of 25% would be classed as affordable homes.

Access would be from a new junction off Tickhill Road (close to the Lumley Arms pub) and would encroach the Green Belt and result in the "loss of a small area of ancient woodland within the Local Wildlife Site."

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As part of the plans, applicants would set aside public open space including space for community sports and leisure. Woodland would be retained and improved and wildlife corridors would be created. At the north of the site 100 allotment sites would be created on three acres of land.

Respondents to the pre-application consultation have raised road safety concerns regarding Tickhill Road and many users of the current allotments are concerned about the impact on livestock.

The applicants state in the plans: "In terms of allotment provision, it is important to note the existing individual allotment plots are vastly oversized and of a poor quality, with some areas being used for the storage of various items, including waste; they cannot be classified as allotments in the usual sense of the word.

"As part of the proposed development it is proposed to provide approximately 100 allotment spaces (measuring 20m x 5m) to the north of the site. Doing so allows for the allotment provision to be rationalised in a suitable location for adequate future management. Whilst the overall area of the existing allotments will be reduced in spatial terms, it is considered that the proposal increases both the overall quantity and quality of allotments."

Andrew Johnson, head of asset management at Hargreaves Land, said: "If approved our plans will provide an exciting new development, delivering much needed new housing for the local community and vastly improve what is currently a largely neglected area of land.”

Hargreaves Land website

Images: Hargreaves Land / Edward Architecture

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News: Ritchie Bros. bids to make Maltby its long term home

Ritchie Bros., the world's largest auctioneer of heavy equipment and trucks, wants to use a former colliery in Rotherham as its UK location for the next 27 years.

Rothbiz reported in March that temporary approval was granted to enable 4.7 hectares of the pit yard at the mothballed Maltby Colliery to be used as an auction site which could accommodate large plant, machinery and equipment when auction events would be held up to ten times per year.

Having hosted two successful auctions already, now plans have been submitted that would provide approval for the operation on more of the pit site and over a much longer term.

A covering letter from WYG, agents for the scheme, explains: "This planning application for the Auction Scheme is submitted with a view, subject to securing planning permission, to enabling [sic] Ritchie Bros. to use the proposed 11.1 hectare Site (which includes the temporary 12 month scheme site and adjoining land) for their auction activities for a 27 year period, securing the 30 full time jobs and 40 additional temporary jobs for each auction event (over two days) up to 10 times per year, along with a proportion of such jobs commencing the week before the auction and also during the following week."

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It is estimated that the scheme would involve the investment of £3.58m by the landlord, Hargreaves Land, and Ritchie Bros. to develop the site, including the modification of an existing building to form an auction house, construction of a new check-in building and use of the existing workshop, along with associated works elsewhere on site, with the demolition of some redundant former colliery buildings.

Annual investment by Ritchie Bros. would involve a further spend of around £0.75m, which over the 27 year life of the venture, would total around £20.25m.

Ritchie Bros. has been holding auctions since 1958, initially in Canada and then expanding to now operate on an international basis. The UK auction operations had previously been based on land at Donington Park.

If approved, the new facilities could be in place for Spring 2020.

Ritchie Bros. website
Hargreaves Land website

Images: Ritchie Bros. / Hargeaves land

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News: Final land sale at Rotherham colliery site

All 35 acres of remaining developable land at the former Dinnington colliery site in Rotherham have been sold.

St Paul's Developments plc and The Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England) completed a development agreement in 2014 to bring the second phase of the former Dinnington Colliery site forward for development after the success of Phase 1 which was developed and sold off in the mid to late 2000's by the then regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward.

In the last 12 months, all 35 acres of development land have been sold in a series of land sales as a result of high demand for strategically located development land in the South Yorkshire region.

19 acres of land was sold in two separate transactions in May and November of 2018 to E V Waddington to speculatively build create small to medium industrial units. In July 2018, a further nine acres was sold to United Caps for construction of a purpose built multi-million pound manufacturing facility for which planning consent has been granted, initially for a 54,000 sq ft unit with an option to expand to some 215,000 sq ft over further phases.

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The most recent land sale was to Trebor Developments who took the remaining 5.5 acres for a 78,450 sq ft speculative warehouse development, completing the scheme.

Joint agents were CBRE and CPP.

When fully developed the 31 East site will accommodate a mix of over 450,000 sq ft of manufacturing, industrial and warehouse space. The vast majority will be constructed speculatively and represents a huge private sector investment in the area.

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said: "To have concluded the regeneration of this significant former colliery site is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the demand for immediately available industrial development land in South Yorkshire.

"As part of our development agreement we could have developed out the land or sold it in parcels and due to the levels of demand we received, the land sales were the natural route. Having played a role in the long-term regeneration of many key sites in South Yorkshire, we are delighted to have facilitated more employment space and job creation within the region."

Mike Baugh, senior director of industrial agency at CBRE, added: "The 31 East scheme has been a huge success and the sale of all 35 acres of land within a 12 month period is testament to the site's key positioning and infrastructure as well as the benefits of its EZ status. Good quality accessible land is currently in short supply within South Yorkshire, so we are seeing an increase in demand for sites of this nature by occupiers seeking to develop out their own facilities."

The sinking of Dinnington Colliery began in 1902 and coal started to be raised in 1905. By 1911 the colliery was providing employment for 2,000 people. It closed in 1992 resulting in 1,000 job losses. The HCA estimated that a regenerated site could create 2,400 new jobs.

St Paul's website

Images: CBRE

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News: Former Maltby Colliery site on the market

The remaining employment land at the former Maltby Colliery in Rotherham is being promoted by landowners, Hargreaves Services.

The 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013.

It had been expected to continue coal production until 2025 but the winding tower was brought down in 2014 and the mine shafts have been filled and capped. With the sudden closure, a restoration scheme was developed and future uses were examined through the borough's new Local Plan.

Hargreaves Services has recently established a new division, called Hargreaves Land, which aims to bring forward developments and unlock value from the group's 17,500-acre land bank, which is valued in excess of £50m.

The company's UK-wide land portfolio includes over 50 sites ranging from former coal mines undergoing remediation, through to prime consented sites ready for development.

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At Maltby, Hargreaves is working with consultants WYG on a masterplan which is due to be submitted in Autumn 2018. With the Local Plan being adopted, around 80 acres is being made available for commercial/industrial uses around the former pit head.

Through the local plan hearings, the company had suggested that land at Maltby could be suitable for lower density uses, "including potential use by an aggregates business, construction firm or other larger scale occupiers."

With rail infrastructure on site, representations for Hargreaves add that it "is likely to help to attract interest for waste (including reverse logistics and recycling facilities), energy, industrial or other "bad neighbour" type uses from a wider catchment."

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For the majority of the site, a reclamation scheme has been approved that will see the Green Belt returned into woodland and grassland.

The new brochure for the site, drawn up with agents at Knight Frank, shows nine available plots and states: "The plots would be suitable for a variety of associated uses and ancillary opportunities such as waste processing, aggregates, composting and green energy projects."

Rothbiz understands that an international firm which hosts auctions for large scale plant and machinery has previously shown an interest in the site.

Hargreaves land added: "We are actively seeking to work with prospective occupiers to facilitate the re-use of the land and premises for employment purposes.

"Adjacent land, which is also within Hargreaves Land control, has been successfully promoted as a potential housing site."

Hargreaves Land website

Images: Hargreaves Land

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News: "Banana" site appeals to Steelphalt

Rotherham-based SteelPhalt, has identified a former colliery site which could contain materials that it could use to create new road surfaces.

SteelPhalt - part of the Harsco group of companies - has been developing and manufacturing high performance asphalt products for the UK road making industry since the 1960s. Harsco has a site at Aldwarke and Steelphalt has an extensive facility at Templeborough.

The firm has been in discussions with Rotherham Council over a parcel of land that the authority owns. Know locally as "Banana Tip" or "Banana Plantation" because of its shape, the land at Infirmary Road borders the Roundwood Golf Club.

Steelphalt wants to undertake exploratory works on the land and the investigations would involve digging some trial pits and sinking two bore holes. The works would take a few days to complete and the land would be fully reinstated afterwards.

Investigations would show whether slag tipped on the land several decades ago could be extracted for use in the road-stone manufacturing plant at Templeborough.

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Rotherham Council will shortly be deciding whether to agree to SteelPhalt's request to undertake initial exploratory work, and is therefore asking for residents' views on the plans before works go ahead.

A drop-in session has been arranged at Rawmarsh Joint Service Centre on Wednesday April 11 between 4.00pm and 5.30pm so that residents can view the plans and discuss the proposals.

Damien Wilson, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment at Rotherham Council, said: "The Council recognises the value of local green spaces such as this, and remains committed to ensuring residents can continue to access and enjoy them.

"At this stage, Steephalt are simply asking to carry out exploratory works. If we agree to this, and SteelPhalt find that the site is viable, they would then need to provide a full proposal for the Council to consider which would of course need to go through the planning process and obtain the necessary planning permission.

"We are keen to understand local people's views on this so these can be taken into consideration in deciding how to proceed."

Roundwood Colliery was established in the early 1860s. It was bought by John Brown and Company which owned a number of collieries in the area. Having been nationalised, the colliery closed in the early 1960s.

SteelPhalt website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Rotherham hoping to land Heathrow supply chain boost

Two former colliery sites in Rotherham have made it onto a longlist of sixty-five "Logistic Hub" locations – off-site centres for construction and manufacturing which will help Heathrow Airport deliver its expansion plan.

The London airport, the largest in the UK and one of the biggest in the world, received Government support for expansion so that the need for additional capacity in the south-east of England will be met by a new north-west runway at Heathrow.

As part of the expansion, which has an estimated cost of £17.6bn, four logistic hubs will be located across the country as the airport pledges to shake-up the UK construction industry by using expansion to revolutionise the way Britain builds major infrastructure.

Eight sites in the Sheffield city region have made the longlist of 65 including 31 East, the remaining land on the reclaimed Dinnington colliery, and the site of the former Maltby Colliery that was mothballed in 2013.

Aiming to build as much of the project off-site as possible, the hubs will work by pre-assembling components off-site before transporting them in consolidated loads to Heathrow just as they are needed. This method is expected to boost the project's efficiency and cut emissions by transporting components to site in fewer lorries.

121 sites from across Britain applied for the chance to host a hub and "upskill their communities with a world-class construction legacy for decades to come."

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Lord Deighton, chairman of Heathrow, said: "As the UK leaves the EU, Heathrow is an essential infrastructure project that will ensure Britain remains an open trading nation.

"As part of that, Heathrow's third runway will rely on talent from all over Britain helping to create a national asset for generations to come. This means new procurement opportunities for businesses in every region, helping drive growth and investment into local communities in all corners of this country. Our aim, to harness the skills we need through long-term projects such as the Logistics Hubs and Business Summits, will drive jobs and investment leaving a legacy of increased productivity for the construction sector.

"The third runway is not a London centric project – it is one we are opening up to the whole of the UK, asking for its skills and expertise to help build an asset this country so desperately needs to safeguard its future prosperity."

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31 East (pictured, top) is being brought forward by experts at St Paul's Developments. With Enterprise Zone status, the 43 acre site on Todwick Road, adjacent to the existing 45 acre Dinnington Business Park, was outlined for a 750,000 sq ft logistics hub.

Updated restoration plans have been approved for Maltby with owners, Hargreaves having the potential for a pocket of development, which includes the pit yard, associated buildings and access, which includes access to rail heads previously used by the colliery.

Sir Nigel Knowles, chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: "The fact that we have more sites longlisted than any other LEP area in the UK is testament to the excellence we have here in logistics and our reputation for being the home of UK advanced engineering, manufacturing and construction, with an enviable network of local companies built on rich legacy of innovation.

"We are a super-connected city region, at the centre of the national rail and motorway network. Working in partnership with the public and private sector, we are achieving transformational change and building a thriving, successful, economy.

"Our vision is focused on rebalancing the North- South divide and spreading the benefit of major UK infrastructure projects to regenerate our local area. I know the quality exists here to make a success of significant investments such as this, and am hopeful that we will be selected as one of the final four locations."

Heathrow website

Images: St Paul's Developments / Hargreaves Services

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News: Johnston Press is a big deal for Dinnington

The deal to print Express Newspapers' north of England titles in Dinnington, Rotherham is worth some £12.8m to Johnston Press, one of the largest local newspaper publishers in the UK.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Johnston Press operates a £60m printing facility on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery in Rotherham. The company, which is behind local titles such as The Yorkshire Post and The Star, secured a deal last year to print a number of national titles.

Reporting its latest financial results for the year ended January 2 2016, the indebted group revealed that its "printing division continues to flourish winning £12.8m worth of new contracts to print the Daily Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express at Dinnington."

It was described as a "a significant long-term contract" with the Express Group joining other major customers including News UK, Guardian Media Group, Local World and Tindle Newspapers, as well as many niche publications.

Johnston Press is also poised to take ownership of its first national newspaper, the i, and has been in talks with the current printers to possibly move to printing to its own facilities.

The group's printing business operates out of three sites in Portsmouth, Dinnington and Carn.

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In 2013 News International paid Johnston Press £10m to terminate a lucrative print contract. Now trading as News UK, News International is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and is home to some of the biggest and most popular British newspapers including The Times and The Sun. The termination followed a similar £30m negotiation in 2012, following the closure of the News of the World.

A 15 year deal between News International and Johnston Press was announced in 2004, extending previous contractual agreements, and was integral to an additional investment of around £20m in the Dinnington facilities that opened in 2007.

The state-of-the-art facility includes one of the most modern and fastest presses in the world. It has the capacity to print 192 pages in full colour, 120,000 newspapers an hour in full colour and 75 titles per week.

For the 52 weeks to January 2, printing revenue rose, but were offset by reduction in newsprint supply revenue. In challenging trading conditions, adjusted profit before tax was £31.5m which was a 22.6% increase on the £25.7m reported in the previous year. Turnover was £242.3m, down from £260m in 2014. The group continues to restrucutre and is investing in digital. Net debt continued to be reduced but still stood at £179.4m.

Ashley Highfield, chief executive of Johnston Press, said: "The acquisition of the i newspaper is incredibly exciting for us. It gives us scale, with a combined Johnston Press plus i daily print circulation of over 600,000 papers making us the UK's 4th largest news publisher, and thus numerous revenue and cost synergy opportunities. Further, not only will the i contribute positively to earnings but it will allow us to accelerate growth in digital, and help stabilise our circulation revenues. In conjunction with the planned asset disposals this will enable us to continue to reduce debt levels and cut financing costs further."

Johnston Press website

Images: Johnston Press

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News: Maltby pit plans set for approval

Revised plans to import tonnes of material to the mothballed Maltby pit site in Rotherham from nearby Hatfield Colliery are being recommended for approval, subject to a number of conditions.

The 500 acre colliery at Maltby was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013. Owners, Hargreaves Services continued to provide management services and support from Maltby to Hatfield Colliery in Doncaster.

A planning application was submitted in September to Rotherham Council by Maltby Colliery Ltd (Hargreaves) to allow for 450,000 tonnes of mine runoff fines, known as MRF, to be transported each year from Hatfield and deposited in the current lagoon at Maltby. MRF is a fine slurry-like material which is formed during the washing and reclamation of coal fines (tiny coal particles). It made up much of the 1.4m tonne landslip at Hatfield in February 2013 and without anywhere to deposit the MRF, the mine would eventually close.

The temporary period covered already begun in April 2013 and the lagoon was due to be filled anyway as part of the colliery's restoration plan. The permission would have equated to a total potential import of 2.25 million tonnes of material but after a recent public meeting, further discussions held with Rotherham Council and approval granted for an additional spoil tip Hatfield, the Maltby plans have been amended.

The proposal now relates to the importation of material up until October 2015, with a maximum import level of 275,000 for the remaining year of operations. Up until the end of October 2014, a total of approximately 400,000 tonnes of MRF had already been deposited at Maltby. This would result in a total of up to 675,000 tonnes, considerably less than originally proposed.

Nearby residents have already raised concerns over the height of the tip, the possibility of landslips, and the impact on the highways of the estimated 60 HGV movements per day.

Despite operating as a colliery, the site is within the green belt and very special circumstances have to demonstrated in order for planning permission to be granted. Planners were satisfied and are recommending to members of the planning board that permission be granted as the operation is only temporary, material would have been collected from the mining operation at Maltby anyway, the deposits will assist with the wider future restoration of the site, and the reduced total amount will have "no discernible visual effect."

A report to the planning board concludes: "In summary, it is considered that very special circumstances exist to justify the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and the other harm associated with the proposal. It is not considered that the traffic created would be detrimental in highway safety terms, whilst in terms of noise, dust, and pollution issues these matters have been concluded to be within acceptable parameters."

The mine shafts have been filled and capped and the immediate future of the site is as Maltby Energy Park, with operator Alkane Energy generating energy from the coal mine methane assets for an estimated period of up to 15 years.

In the final draft of the council's Local Plan the majority of the Maltby site is being put forward as remaining in the green belt with a pocket of development, which includes the pit yard, associated buildings and access, not considered suitable for a business park with offices or industrial units but instead used for "for waste and energy activities."

Images: Network Rail

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News: Hargreaves pleased with progress in closing Maltby

Hargreaves Services plc, the UK's leading supplier of solid fuels, has reported that the mine shafts have been filled and capped as part of the overall restoration programme at Maltby Colliery in Rotherham.

The 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013. It had around 500 staff.

Owners and operators, Hargreaves decided to mothball the mine following no viable alternative solution being found to geological reports that indicated that the risks associated with mining a new panel, called T125, had not significantly reduced and that the panel is not viable on health and safety, geological, and financial grounds.

In its latest financial results, Hargreaves said that the closure programme continues in line with plan and that the mine shafts have been filled and capped as part of Maltby's overall restoration programme and that it just waiting on formal certification of this completion.

Maltby's No 3 Winding Tower met with an explosive end in July as a number of disused and redundant colliery buildings were demolished.

In a statement, the board of Hargreaves said that it "is very pleased with the progress that has been made in closing the Maltby operation and thanks all the staff and other stakeholders involved. The project has been completed on time, on budget and to a high quality."

A number of Maltby miners successfully transferred across to Hatfield Colliery near Doncaster, which Hargreaves previously managed on behalf of its owners. A large number of skilled workers were recruited to the group's contracting arm, Hargreaves Technical Resources.

Hargreaves added that it is working hard with local authorities to "optimise the value of land to the Group and to the local community."

The immediate future of the site is as Maltby Energy Park, with operator Alkane Energy generating energy from the coal mine methane assets for an estimated period of up to 15 years.

Alkane Energy paid £7.5m to buy coal mine methane (CMM) assets at Maltby from Hargreaves Services last year. £2m will be paid to acquire additional site infrastructure assets six months after the mine shafts are satisfactorily sealed as part of the planned closure of Maltby Colliery. This is expected to occur by October 2014.

Now operating at full production, some 115 million cubic metres of pure methane will be extracted from the mine void and the coal left underground.

Alkane said in its latest financial results that current output from Maltby is ahead of expectations and that they expect production in the second half to compensate for the delayed shaft sealing operations.

Rothbiz reported last month that Alkane had completed a multimillion pound deal with Egdon Resources, a leading player in shale gas exploration, for the interest in the current licence to explore for the controversial energy source in Rotherham.

Hargreaves website
Alkane Energy website

Images: Hargreaves Logistics

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News: DSR bring down the house in Doncaster

Experts at Rotherham-based DSR Demolition have brought an explosive end to a Doncaster landmark, successfully bringing down the 12-storey Council House building over the weekend.

Based at Meadowbank in the former Turners Arms pub, the demolition, dismantling, recycling and asset recovery experts work with land developers, councils and hospitals, and also members of the general public with smaller one-off jobs.

The 40 metre tall Coal House became the National Coal Board's headquarters in December 1966. In 1992, Doncaster Council moved in and it was renamed the Council House.

Following five months of preparation, DSR Demolition Limited used approximately 36kg of explosives to blow down the building. Some 756 small charges were placed on the four main blast floors: the ground, first, fifth and ninth floors and by using 700 delay detonators over 1.2 seconds the building caved in. Each charged column and wall was individually wrapped with protective materials and extra protection materials were wrapped around the outside of the blast floors to ensure it came down safely.

Emma Thompson, QHSE manager at DSR Demolition, said: "We are pleased to have contributed to the regeneration of Doncaster Civic and Cultural Quarter. It has been a challenging project but the end result will be well worth the effort." 

The site will be landscaped before being redeveloped as part of the Civic and Cultural Quarter. Detailed master planning is underway which will determine the type of development suitable for the site.

Dan Needham, regional director for Muse Developments, the council's development partner, said: "This demolition is extremely important for the town, as it will create opportunities for future development and allow us to keep up momentum."

It was a similar sight at the former Maltby Colliery in Rotherham earlier in the week when another Rotherham firm, Demex, successfully demolished the 3rd winding tower.

Underground workings at the 100 year old colliery ended in 2013 and as part of the planned closure programme, a number of disused and redundant colliery buildings are being demolished.

Maltby's No 3 Winding Tower was scheduled to be demolished in April but legally-protected peregrine falcons had been observed roosting on the tower whilst hunting for food. Net deterrents were put in place to discourage nesting before demolition and two artificial peregrine boxes have been installed on the Bath House building which is not to be demolished.

The site is to become The Maltby Energy Park, with operator Alkane Energy generating energy from the coal mine methane assets for an estimated period of up to 15 years.

DSR Demolition website
Demex website

Images: Muse Developments / Hargreaves Logistics

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News: Pit's future as Maltby Energy Park

Maltby Colliery, which closed in March 2013 after more than 100 years of underground operations, is set to become The Maltby Energy Park, "a compact "green" alternative energy facility with minimal impact on the surrounding environment."

Alkane Energy plc, one of the UK's fastest growing independent power generators, paid £7.5m to buy coal mine methane (CMM) assets at Maltby from operators Hargreaves Services last year. Alkane is set to make a further payment of £2m to acquire additional site infrastructure assets six months after the mine shafts are satisfactorily sealed as part of the planned closure of Maltby Colliery. With demolition underway, this is expected to occur by October 2014.

Maltby has reserves of an estimated 328 million cubic metres of coal mine methane, which Alkane is already extracting and using to generate electricity. Methane extracted from the mine for safety reasons has, for some years, been used to generate electricity on the site for exportation to the gird. Plans have now been submitted to retain some of the existing plant and equipment to extract methane from a pipeline which has been left in the last colliery shaft that has not yet been capped.

A decision was made to mothball the mine following no viable alternative solution being found to geological reports that indicated that the risks associated with mining a new panel, called T125, had not significantly reduced and that the panel is not viable on health and safety, geological, and financial grounds.

The Maltby site occupies 500 acres and employed over 500 staff and contractors. The new operation will be totally different, designed to operate automatically without the need for people to be on site, except for maintenance or repair. The equipment will be managed remotely at Alkane's Markham Vale Depot and Control Centre.

If the plans are approved, the generation of electricity would be carried out 24 hours per day, seven days per week for an estimated period of up to 15 years. It is envisaged that once mine gas extraction ceases, the site will be restored to amenity or some other use. The council and Hargreaves have been in discussions regarding how the site fits into the council's Local Plan which sets out policies and proposals for new housing, shopping and employment.

Regent Park Energy Limited, previously called Green Park Energy before it was acquired by Alkane in 2012, also operates the Manvers CMM fuelled generation facility near Swinton.

Alkane has more than 800 sq km of acreage under various onshore Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDLs). Alkane retains a 100% interest in the majority of these PEDLs, which extend to all of the hydrocarbons recoverable from these licence areas. This includes any CMM, natural gas, coal bed methane (CBM) or shale gas. Alkane has the licence for PEDL 43, which covers the Maltby site, but is yet to come forward with plans to extract shale gas by the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and continues to focus on the coal mine methane.

The extraction of coal mine methane does not involve any form of fracking or any other processes of well stimulation associated with coal bed methane (CBM) or shale gas extraction. The methane is produced by coal left underground, following conventional mining operations carried out over the years the mine was in operation.

The plans state: "It is estimated that over the anticipated 15 year life of the project, some 115 million cubic metres of pure methane will be extracted from the mine void and the coal left underground.

"Full production, of up to 10 MW (Mega Watts) of electricity, from the eight generator engines currently on the site is expected to continue until at least May/June 2015. In the remaining life of the project, there is expected to be a slow progressive reduction in CMM extraction, as the methane, within the coal left underground, depletes.

"After about 15 years all the gas that can be recovered economically should have been extracted. However, it is not possible to be precise, so the above figures are given as a guide only.

"If all goes according to plan, there should be enough gas to generate in the region of 445,000 Mega Watt Hours (MWh), of electricity, over the life of the project."

Alkane website

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News: Maltby powers strong trading for Alkane

Alkane Energy, one of the UK's fastest growing independent power generators, has reported strong trading performance for 2013, the year it began producing energy at the Maltby Colliery site in Rotherham.


The Nottinghamshire company operates mid-sized "gas to power" electricity plants providing both predictable and fast response capacity to the grid. It raised £6m in equity funding to complete a £7.5m deal to buy coal mine methane (CMM) assets at Maltby last year.

Now the UK's largest generator of electricity from CMM, Alkane posted a trading update for the six months ended December 31 2013 showing that performance has remained strong with output increasing 15% year on year. For the period, the group said that it expects to deliver electricity of circa 192 GWh, compared to 167 GWh in 2012.

The boost in output was due to the 11MW Maltby operations which Alkane said is performing ahead of plan.

Underground operations ended in March 2013 at the Maltby site that occupies 500 acres and employed over 500 staff and contractors. It is the last coking coal mine left in the UK and produced both high quality coking coal and power station coal.

A decision was made to mothball the mine following no viable alternative solution being found to geological reports that indicated that the risks associated with mining a new panel, called T125, had not significantly reduced and that the panel is not viable on health & safety, geological, and financial grounds.

Neil O'Brien, chief executive officer at Alkane, said: "Alkane continues to invest in new facilities as the UK Electricity market faces an increased risk of an energy gap over the coming years. 

"2013 has seen the successful integration of the Maltby acquisition and improved performance from our Power Response sites. It has been our 10th successive year of output growth and we remain confident of future prospects."

The board at Alkane expect that the financial results for the year ended December 31 2013 will be in line with market expectations. In the six months ended 30 June 2013, Alkane reported that revenues more than doubled compared with the same period in the previous year from £5.3m to £11.1m. EBITDA (earnings before tax) rose to £3.3m from £2.1m.

Alkane has more than 800 sq km of acreage under various onshore Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDLs). Alkane retains a 100% interest in the majority of these PEDLs, which extend to all of the hydrocarbons recoverable from these licence areas. This includes any CMM, natural gas, coal bed methane (CBM) or shale gas. Alkane has the licence for PEDL 43, which covers the Maltby site, but is yet to come forward with plans to extract shale gas by the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and continues to focus on the coal mine methane.

In December, Alkane commenced generation at a new site on the Prince of Wales Colliery in Pontefract. It represented the fourth collaboration with Harworth Estates who are a regular partner to Alkane.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Harworth Estates is one of the largest landowners in the UK with access to over 30,000 acres of land.

Alkane Energy website

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News: Harworth Estates powers ahead at North Notts. colliery site

Harworth Estates, the company created to realise the property assets of what was UK Coal, has sold land at Harworth Colliery to Jones Homes and let a 50,000 sq ft manufacturing unit at Harworth Business Park to RS Motorhomes.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Harworth Estates is one of the largest landowners in the UK with access to over 30,000 acres of land. The former colliery in Bassetlaw is just one of its regeneration schemes.

The new Jones Homes development forms part of a wider programme by Harworth Estates of opening up land for employment and residential use on the former colliery. The first phase involved the development of an Asda superstore in October 2012, creating 80 new local jobs. Future phases will see a further 878 new homes built.

The consented master plan for the site allows for the re-opening of Harworth Colliery or the development of 800,000 sq ft of new employment space if new investors for the colliery cannot be found.

Tim Love, director of strategic land at Harworth Estates, said: "We are delighted that Jones Homes are investing in the site and providing a range of quality homes, signalling another important step in realising the wider masterplan.

"This is the eighth housing outlet to be opened up on land within our wider portfolio in the past three years, showing our determination and commitment to help regenerate the communities in which we operate."

At Harworth Business Park, letting agents Lambert Smith Hampton have agreed a letting to RS Motorhomes. The deal on the 50,000 sq ft unit is to assist its expansion at the firm which is a market leader in the luxury motor homes market. The Park's close proximity to the A1 will support its future plans, including expansion into the Leisure sector and the Equestrian transport sector.

Administrators were called in to save the mining division of UK Coal, with the remaining focus of the new company, Coalfield Resources plc, targeting the realisation of its property assets through the Harworth Estates Property Group Limited. Harworth Estates achieved a profit for the first half of 2013 of £1.4m.

Harworth Estates website

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News: Quartzelec in Dinnington deal

Quartzelec, a fast growing electrical engineering group, is the latest company to expand into new premises in Dinnington, Rotherham.

The firm has acquired a 31,500 sq ft industrial facility on Caxton Way that is six times bigger than its Darnall premises with an additional acre of land for expansion.

The regenerated site of the former Dinnington colliery is already home to Macalloy, Johnston Press, Ernest Bennett Saws, Connexion2 and Assure Fire & Security.

Quartzelec offers design, manufacture, maintenance, refurbishment, service solutions and spares support for low voltage and high voltage electric motors, generators, pumps, gearboxes, transformers and associated static plant to customers in industries that include petro-chemical, steel mills, power generation, utilities, defence, food processing, traction, pharmaceutical, plus quarrying and mining.

The company has an annual turnover in excess of £50m with its critical electrical motors and generators used by companies around the globe.

Its heritage dates back over 80 years and is derived from engineering names such as Cegelec, ALSTOM, AEI, BTH and Metropolitan Vickers. It has also been part of Manweb, Norweb and ScottishPower through its lifetime. It became Quartzelec in 2007 following a management buyout.

Originally having cost over £2.5m to build, Quartzelec is leasing the new building with the option to buy.

Dave Graham, general manager at Quartzelec, said: "This site is perfect for our needs and growth plans.

"We've opted to lease the premises in the short term while we negotiate the freehold and release the necessary funds from within the business. Our existing premises in Sheffield were acquired back in the 1990s to enable us to service the needs of the metals industry in the region.

"However, we've subsequently diversified and built a reputation working with customers in many other sectors including power generation, petro-chemical and water and so needed more space and facilities to meet this growing demand."

The existing team of more than 20 engineers and support staff have recently transferred across to the new building and Quartzelec will also be looking to recruit additional skilled engineers in the future.

Rob Oliver, director of commercial property consultants GVA advised on the deal. He said: "Having totally outgrown its existing and antiquated premises in central Sheffield, close to the Don Valley Stadium, Quartzelec approached us late last year with a brief to identify either existing alternative premises or design and build opportunities in the region.

"The local market is struggling with a lack of supply of modern premises; particularly units designed and fitted out for manufacturing use. We shortlisted a number of options and the purpose built unit on Caxton Way, Dinnington, Rotherham ideally matched the requirement, as it already had the necessary cranes installed plus offered future expansion options and were pleased to negotiate and agree a deal."

Quartzelec website

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News: Hargreaves reports on Maltby Colliery mothballing

Hargreaves Services plc, the UK's leading supplier of solid fuels, has reported its latest financial results for a "challenging and rewarding year" that included the mothballing of Maltby Colliery in Rotherham.

Setbacks during the year ending May 31 2013 included the mothballing of Maltby and a case of fraud at its Belgium division which meant that net loss after this exceptional impact was £49.6m. However pre-tax profits still increased to £52.2m, up from £49.2m in 2012.

Following the acquisition of the assets of ATH Resources and a switch from deep mining to surface mining, revenues from continuing operations were £843.3m, an increase of £225.4m over the prior year.

The board is recommending a final dividend of 13.6p for shareholders, an increase of 15.3% year on year.

Maltby occupies a site of 500 acres and employed over 500 staff and contractors. It is the last coking coal mine left in the UK and produced both high quality coking coal and power station coal.

The owners confirmed the mothballing in December last year following no viable alternative solution being found to geological reports that indicated that the risks associated with mining a new panel, called T125, had not significantly reduced and that the panel is not viable on health & safety, geological, and financial grounds.

In the latest financial statement, Hargreaves said that "The closure of Maltby was a difficult decision that we recognised would affect a large number of people both within and outside the group.

"The loss of jobs at Maltby is very regrettable. The group, management and unions worked together closely to minimise the inevitable socio-economic impacts. In this regard, great efforts continue to be made to find alternative jobs for as many of the workforce as possible."

A number of Maltby miners have successfully transferred across to Hatfield Colliery near Doncaster, which Hargreaves has managed on behalf of its owners for the last two years. A large number of skilled workers have also been recruited to the group's contracting arm, Hargreaves Technical Resources.

Without capital intensive underground workings, Maltby continues to trade with approximately one million tonnes of tiny coal particles called "fines" harvested and processed. Hargreaves also sold Maltby's methane assets to Alkane Energy in a £7.5m deal.

Overall, the mothballing process led to a reported loss (including closure costs) of £59.8m net of tax incurred in the year which is in line with Hargreaves' plan. These costs included the operating loss to the point of decision to mothball the mine, redundancy costs, closure and settlement costs to the end of the year, and non cash write offs relating to plant and equipment, development costs and other related assets.

The process to sell the remainder of the plant and equipment is ongoing and the closure and restoration programme, including the filling and capping of mine shafts, remains on track to be completed during the current financial year.

Hargreaves, which provides management services and support to Hatfield Colliery Limited from Maltby Colliery Limited, is also expected to "vigorously defend" any claim from Network Rail following the land slip that closed rail lines for five months at Hatfield earlier this year.

Tim Ross, chairman of Hargreaves Services, said: "It has been both a challenging and rewarding year. Whilst the group suffered setbacks at both Maltby and in Belgium, we have made significant strategic progress. Following a successful equity raise in April, the Group has accelerated the development of its surface mining business to become the key coal producer and distributor in the UK market."

Hargreaves Services website

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News: Maltby mothballing progressing to plan

The mothballing of Maltby Colliery in Rotherham is expected be completed by the end of March, the board of site-owners, Hargreaves Services plc, has confirmed.

Maltby occupies a site of 500 acres and employed over 500 staff and contractors. It is the last coking coal mine left in the UK and produced both high quality coking coal and power station coal.

The owners confirmed the mothballing in December following no viable alternative solution being found to geological reports that indicated that the risks associated with mining a new panel, called T125, had not significantly reduced and that the panel is not viable on health & safety, geological, and financial grounds.

In its latest trading results, Hargreaves stated that "the mothballing process is progressing well and the forecast closure costs are in line with plan. It is still anticipated that the substantial elements of the mothballing process, including recovery of equipment, can be completed by the end of March 2013."

The post tax forecast loss from Maltby closing in Hargreaves' full year report is anticipated to be approximately £58m including redundancy, closure costs and non-cash write-offs relating to plant and equipment, development costs and other related assets.

Hargreaves estimated last year that the redundancy cost would be £7.3m, including £3.7m of enhanced redundancy payments.

"The loss of jobs at Maltby is very regrettable." the report said. "The group, management and unions have worked together closely to minimise the inevitable socio-economic impacts. In this regard great efforts continue to be made to find alternative jobs for as many of the workforce as possible."

Maltby workers have been encouraged to apply for positions at Hatfield Colliery near Doncaster, which Hargreaves manages on behalf of the mine owners. An additional shift was recently introduced at Hatfield in a bid to maximise production – something that had also been introduced previously at Maltby with great success.

Skilled workers are also needed to fill vacancies in the newly-created contracting arm, Hargreaves Technical Resources, and Hargreaves' HR team are also helping Maltby colleagues apply for and fill vacancies across the wider Hargreaves group.

The company is also working closely with teams from Jobcentre Plus, the National Careers Service & Barnsley College to offer a range of practical advice and support; this covers access to benefits, careers advice, training, self-employment, and further education.

The cost of the mothballing is expected to be £12.3m but Hargreaves stated that "discussions regarding the sale of plant and equipment are progressing well with a number of parties" and hope to realise £14m.

Without underground workings, Maltby will continue to trade with tiny coal particles called "fines" harvested and processed. The provision of mining management services to Hatfield Colliery Limited will also continue and Hargreaves expect that these activities will continue to provide a modest profit stream.

Losses of £9.8m due to the Maltby closure and a £18.8m exceptional charge relating to fraud in Belgium, led to a pre-tax loss of £9.1m for Hargreaves in the six months to November 30. However, revenues, underlying operating profit and dividends were all up.

Tim Ross, chairman of Hargreaves Services, said it has been a "challenging period" for the group but that "the underlying performance of the business in the first half was good and the prospects for the second half are also encouraging."

Hargreaves Services website

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News: Maltby to be mothballed by March

The board of Hargreaves Services plc, the UK's leading supplier of solid fuels, has confirmed that Maltby Colliery in Rotherham will be mothballed.

Maltby occupies a site of 500 acres and employs over 500 staff and contractors. It is the last coking coal mine left in the UK and produces both high quality coking coal and power station coal.

The owners proposed mothballing in November following geological reports that indicated that the risks associated with mining a new panel, called T125, had not significantly reduced and that the panel is not viable on health & safety, geological, and financial grounds.

On November 30, a working party comprised of employees, union representatives and external consultants presented alternative proposals to the board.

The company has now concluded that, as with its own previous findings, the plans presented by the working party do not provide it with a viable alternative solution.

Mothballing of the underground operations at the 100 year old mine begins this week and will continue through to the end of March 2013 at a cost to the company of approximately £12.3m.

The company stated that it "remains committed to exploring alternative employment opportunities for staff, both within the wider Hargreaves Group and externally. The Company is also working closely with external agencies to provide maximum opportunities for its committed and loyal workforce."

Staff were notified of potential redundancies in October as experts carried out a comprehensive review into the problems with mining a new panel.

If redundancy notices were served to all employees, the redundancy cost would be £7.3m. This includes £3.7m of enhanced redundancy payment. Although, not contractually obliged to honour the enhancement, Hargreaves added that it was the board's intention to pay it.

Going forward, Maltby will continue to trade. Tiny coal particles called "fines" will be harvested and processed and the team is also exploring the potential for electricity production using the mine's methane regeneration assets during the mothballing phase.

With plant and equipment worth £34m, Hargreaves expects to realise £14m in its sale.

The land at Maltby has a value to the group of £11m with costs of restoration provided in the amount of £6m. Input into Rotherham's Local Development Framework (LDF) from Hargreaves last year shows that they are hoping that consideration could be given to utilise the site as a major development in the green belt with possible scope for industrial and business uses, taking advantage of rail infrastructure.

In a report to the stock exchange, the board concluded that: "This has been a very challenging period for the group. The decision to recommend mothballing the mine at Maltby has been a difficult one but the board is confident it is the right decision given the health and safety, geological and financial risks."

Hargreaves Services website

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