The chemical industry may not seem the obvious partner for a land reclamation project. However the partnership with chemical company, Cabot Carbon is an excellent example of the importance of the business sector to Newlands’ delivery, as well as the overall economic value of the programme.

Marketing Manager at Chemicals Northwest, Julie Buckley explains why the region’s chemical industry is one hundred per cent behind the scheme

“In recent years, the chemical sector has become increasingly concerned about the amount of industry-owned land that is now redundant."

“About four years ago, we launched Chemicals Northwest’s Land Reclamation project to discover where the greatest clusters of DUN land was in relation to where chemicals industry firms are based.”

Funded by industry and the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Chemicals Northwest is a not-for-profit organisation that is driving strong, sustainable development in the region’s ‘chemistry using industries.’

Julie added: “Our research discovered that Runcorn, Warrington, Ellesmere Port, Lostock and parts of Cumbria had the largest number of sector-specific DUN land. “Following our findings, we started to build local partnerships in these areas to look at restoring the land for fresh industrial land or for use as a community resource.”

‘But without the financial resources, our partners commitments to environmental improvement could not begin to be fulfilled, so when Newlands was launched it provide the launch pad for other sector-specific ventures.”

Chemicals Northwest Land Reclamation research was used in the NWDA’s ‘Reclaim the Northwest’ publication, which laid the framework for Newlands.

Newlands Cabot Carbon site is a private public partnership, where a large part of the Ellesmere Port chemical company, Cabot Carbon, is releasing significant areas of its redundant land to be rejuvenated.

The aims of the scheme will incorporate increased public access along Shropshire Union canal, improve the aesthetics of the site as well as supporting values and attracting new business investment into the area.

For more information about Chemicals Northwest’s Land Reclamation project, contact Julie Buckley at julie.buckley@chemicalsnorthwest or telephone 01928 515678.

Julie’s most memorable Newlands moment to date is seeing the wildlife and birds not common to Cheshire such as avocets and lapwings.