Plans to transform derelict Derbyshire ironworks site into 'thriving' hub

The 192-acre site at Lows Lane, Ilkeston, has been acquired by Verdant Regeneration Ltd – in a joint venture between owners from local firms Ward and Trust Utility Management, who already have existing facilities adjacent to the site.

The sale is seen as a major breakthrough for the site, which has long been identified as one of the biggest redevelopment opportunities in the borough.

Ambitious plans are now set to transform the former steel works into a thriving national distribution, logistics and rail freight hub for the Midlands, to be called New Stanton Park.

Erewash Borough Council leader, councillor Carol Hart, said the sale was a major step forward.

She said: “We are talking about two local businesses taking control of a site that has been derelict for so long and with the desire to create employment – jobs for local people. That has got to be good.”

Councillor Michael Powell, the council’s lead member for regeneration and planning, added: “We are not talking about the whole of the Stanton site and there will be planning processes to go through – but this is a large-scale area and its development would help meet our ambitions for job creation.

"We have worked so hard over the years to put a master plan together for Stanton and I am absolutely delighted that at last we have some positive news that things are moving on.”

Since 2007, the land has been subject to a number of failed attempts to secure a future for the site that was once a major employer in Ilkeston. Dating back to the 1800s, at its peak it employed more than 7,000 people as part of the British Steel Corporation Tubes Division.

David Ward, director at Verdant Regeneration Limited, said: “As local businesses with a strong heritage in the area, we see this as a real chance to create a new legacy for Ilkeston.

"It will unlock potential for long term business opportunities and future jobs for Derbyshire and the wider region.

“It has a wonderful past and we hope will now have a prosperous future.”