The site has been earmarked for a £6m speculative industrial development to be known as Baltic Park, which will bring 100,000sqft of industrial space to the market.

The site had a long history of heavy industrial uses and was formerly home to the Allhusen Chemical (Alkali) Works.

Due to concerns that the soils and groundwaters underlying the site may be impacted by contamination including dioxins, we were appointed to help determine the risks so that appropriate remedial measures could be put in place to enable redevelopment.

In addition to dioxins, there were concerns of potential risks to the site and the wider area due to galligu, a by-product of Alkali Manufacturing, which can release harmful leachates and ground gas causing geotechnically unstable ground conditions in some instances.

Gateshead Council had previously undertaken significant works around the site to remediate land affected by dioxins and galligu.

A mine entry was reported to be on site by the Coal Authority, however the exact location could not be determined as the only identification dated back to the 1790’s.

Remedial works were agreed with the Council aimed at reducing off-site waste disposal and thereby limiting the impact on local transport infrastructure and preserving finite landfill capacity, controlling costs for the client and protecting current, future site users and users of surrounding areas.

The works needed to take into consideration the site’s drainage requirements, the agreed remediation strategy and Gateshead Council’s policy on clean covers within landscaped areas.

We were delighted to be able to help the client by developing a remediation strategy in order to address the residual risks and ensure the site is suitable for future use so that any development can proceed safely. For further information about the new development.

For further information on how we can assist you with Geo-Environmental Assessments please do not hesitate to contact us on 0191 230 4521 or email: Enquiries@robertsenvironmental.co.uk.