Page 48 - Beyond Decommissioning

The fundamentals of industrial redevelopment 29

processes tends to be scarce or nil. Industrial archeology comprises both the exami-
nation of visible structures and excavations to retrieve buried items.
The Chatterley Whitfield Project can be quoted here as one example of industrial
archeology and site redevelopment among many in the United Kingdom. The grounds
around the old Chatterley Whitfield Colliery, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, have
been transformed into a new heritage country park.
The site was initially used as a coal merchant’s yard from 1750. It was active as a
colliery around 1850 and was the first colliery in the United Kingdom to mine 1 mil-
lion saleable tons of coal in 1 year. It closed down in 1976. Eventually, the site was
recognized as an outstanding example of a coalmining industry and was given the sta-
tus of Ancient Monument by English Heritage in 1993. In 2007, it was officially reg-
istered as one of the most significant at-risk industrial heritage sites in the country. For
some years after closure, the site was managed as a heritage mining museum, but that
management was later discontinued.
It took 2 years and cost £8m (€9m) to convert the 20-ha site into a green open area
for recreational purposes. The project was completed with the assistance of Stoke-on-
Trent City Council, English Heritage, and Friends of Chatterley Whitfield.
The major change to the landscape was the restoration of Ford Green Brook into an
ecologically friendly open stream. New footpaths, including some for the disabled,
were established. Also, Cycle Route 55, which is a part of the national network of
cycle paths, was preserved and improved. The pit’s spoil heap was retained in memory
of generations of local workers. The history and current state of the site is described in
BBC (2010).
On a much smaller scale, but equally significant to the purposes of this book, Dale’s
Brewery, Cambridge, United Kingdom can be quoted as a typical redevelopment pro-
ject: from brewery to mixed use. Frederick Dale established the brewery in its current
site in 1903. It stands as a fine example of a small brewery of the period. It had a three-
story block fronting the street with offices, and an archway to the yard with other
buildings behind it. The name appeared—and still does—in large wrought lettering
around the roof and on a large clock over the street (Fig. 2.7). Currently, the Dales
Brewery business center has six offices, three workshops, and four shops. The devel-
opment has dedicated parking for each business and is within close distance of the city
center and train station (Gwydir, n.d.).
Most old industrial buildings and sites are protected by law and active conservation
organizations on account of their artistic, historical, social, and scientific significance.
In addition, such heritage structures have a record of longevity and resilience tested by
centuries of natural and man-made hazards. Historic industrial buildings possess an
inherent charm as sociocultural strongholds and invaluable repositories of technolog-
ical advancements. Besides, many old industrial sites are “good” buildings from
which we can learn important lessons about sustainability and building construction
techniques.
The cultural heritage of a nuclear plant is especially controversial. Storm (2011)
raises many relevant issues, but offers no generic solution. Decisions in the field
are clearly political and subject to democratic debate, which implies that different