Land pollution

Bannerbrook Park

This 26.1 hectare site was originally constructed as a shadow factory during the Second World War.  Its main use has been the production of tractors and was once the world's largest factory devoted solely to the production of tractors.  Over 3 million tractors were produced at the site before it closed.  The proposed development includes both industrial / commercial and housing areas.

The council is continuing to work with the developer and their environmental consultant to ensure any contamination is remediated and that the site is suitable for its intended use. 

Ricoh Arena

The Ricoh Arena and adjacent Tesco site was the home of Coventry Gasworks from 1909 until it was decommissioned in the 1970s. The 40ha site had both coal and oil gasification plants, as well as four gasholders. The remediation of both sites took nearly two years and involved work to protect the underlying groundwater, Hall Brook that runs through the site as well as future site users. 

London Road allotments

During a study into urban soils undertaken by the British Geological Survey (BGS), elevated levels of cadmium were identified at London Road Allotments. It was thought the allotments had been used to dispose of sewage sludge when an adjacent site was used as a sewage treatment works in the early 20th Century.

The council undertook sampling at the site in conjunction with the BGS and the allotment holders.  The results showed that, while the cadmium levels were slightly above the soil guideline value, bioavailability testing showed that the site was safe for use. 

Stoke Peugeot plant

The Stoke Peugeot Plant is a 34.6ha site in the City, which produced cars for nearly the entire 20th Century. As well as car production, the site was also used to produce aircraft engines during the Second World War. 

The site is in the process of being redeveloped into Peugeot's new UK headquarters and a new urban village and local centre. Due to be completed towards the end of 2009, the remediation work will involve the decommissioning and demolition of the present structures, along with further site investigation work and the removal or treatment of any contamination. 

Groundview and desktop studies

The City Council used the software "Groundview" to undertake a risk assessment of the City under Part IIA.  This was to identify those areas of the city where contamination is most likely to exist.  The process used the City Council's Geographical Information System (GIS) and collated information about potential sources, pathways and receptors from a number of sources. These include historical maps, geological maps, information from archives and present land use.

Environmental Protection is currently producing desk top studies for those sites identified using Groundview.  This will allow all available information about the sites to be collated and expanded to include extra investigations at the City Archives.  This will allow Environmental Protection to produce recommendations for each site.