Fairgrove reaffirms commitment to stakeholder dialogue

East Midlands, [26 September 26, 2007] Following last night’s news that Amber Valley Borough Council has deferred its decision on the planning application for Cinderhill submitted by Banks Group and Commercial Estates Group, the Fairgrove Group – which is submitting alternative plans for the site – has reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with all stakeholders in developing a vision for the scheme.

The Ilkeston-based company has teamed up with engineering consultancy Joynes Pike and Associates and architect John Thompson & Partners to consult with local people to ensure the development is sustainable and benefits them.

John Thompson & Partners specialises in urban design with experience on projects throughout the UK and across Europe. “Our focus is on delivering a consensus-led approach to projects,” says Marcus Adams, managing partner of the firm. “We aim to develop a long-term relationship with Fairgrove to enable it to deliver a viable scheme that improves the quality of life for the people of Cinderhill. Our firm has worked on both major and challenging projects on brownfield sites ranging from former army barracks and naval yards to defunct sewage works and hospital sites in locations such as Hungate, York and the Upper Calder Valley. Our aim for the Cinderhill project is to have an open and honest process that enables all stakeholders to provide input that can ultimately be fed into Fairgrove’s vision for the development. One of the ways we will achieve this objective is to actively listen to stakeholder views during specially organised events later this year.”

Joynes Pike and Associates, a leading UK civil engineering firm with headquarters in the East Midlands, has been involved in major projects such as the Arsenal Emirates stadium and Nottingham University Jubilee Campus extension, as well as schemes with all the leading UK house builders. “Working with Fairgrove on the Cinderhill project will be an interesting challenge,” says John Pike, managing director and chairman of the firm. “We join this project with significant experience of dealing with stakeholders concerned with the issues of sustainable development, having successfully worked with locals on the development of a number of major retail and residential projects. For example, we have previously been involved in the ground works for a site in Helsby, Cheshire, where we helped transform a brownfield area that had been stagnant and contaminated for 20 years into a sought-after location with a superstore, housing and a care home.”

Joynes Pike and Associates will start its work at Cinderhill by looking at the legacy of contamination on the site and draw up potential solutions for sustainable development. “We haven’t got any preconceived ideas about the solution,” says John Pike. “We understand that the tar pits and contamination of the land at Cinderhill is a concern to local residents and needs to be dealt with. But we also know that some walk their dogs on the land and there’s some fascinating bird life in the area. We have an open mind on how to deal with the area, but are focused on finding a sustainable solution to the legacy of the past.”

“Planners want the Cinderhill site developed,” says Steve Midgley, managing director of Fairgrove Group. “In fact, at this week’s meeting, the council’s planning executive said the development should go ahead for the good of the area. We firmly believe that the best way forward is to work with local residents to achieve the best and most sustainable and environmentally sensitive development that can improve the quality of life for locals. We have a commitment to partnership with all parties interested in the future of Cinderhill, and are looking to minimise the impact that any development may have.”

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