Between the 1940s and 1980s, the 96-hectare Pride Park site in Derby housed the city’s former gas works, a municipal landfill, a British Rail locomotive depot, a former industrial works and gravel extraction. During the 1990s, with support from the Government City Challenge Scheme, the site underwent a significant regeneration programme to enable commercial, light industrial, retail and leisure development.
The site regeneration was undertaken by Ove Arup & Partners, Purac-Morrison and Alpheus Environmental. The work included the installation of a bentonite cut-off wall linked to a ring main, groundwater abstraction wells and a treatment plant to maintain groundwater levels and treat contaminated groundwater prior to compliant discharge to the River Derwent.
The treatment plant receives and treats over 100,000 m3 of contaminated groundwater per year prior to compliantly discharging it to the river. This vital service enables the Pride Park development to continue to provide modern retail and leisure facilities, including the Derby County football stadium and velodrome.
Alpheus has a long track record of working with Derby City Council, having been the operation and maintenance contractor since the completion of the build in late 1997. The success of the site owes to continued and close collaboration between Alpheus, Derby City Council, Arup and the Environment Agency.
