Development partner sought for Doncaster Waterfront
Following the completion of remediation works, the council is looking to create a neighbourhood that reflects the 22-acre site’s waterside setting and industrial heritage.
The site, known as the Waterfront East Park, has been de-risked from an underused, contaminated piece of land into a temporary green, open space built specifically to attract development projects and further investment for the city centre. This space can now be used by the public, while the future use of the site is determined.
Unveiled in March last year, proposals for the £400m scheme initially included 300 apartments, a hotel, a digital arena, film studio, and a multi-storey car park, feeding into the city’s ambition to become an AI centre of excellence and centred around the idea of the waterfront becoming a ‘digital cluster’.
Consultancy Pick Everard and planners Pegasus Group have since been working alongside City of Doncaster Council to decide on the best potential use for the site, which has been complicated by the many utilities crossing the plot of land.
Now complete, remediation works started in July last year and were delivered by main contractor Keltbray.
Complications on site included several gas mains, a main sewage line, telecoms cables, and drainage channels, with roughly half the gas, sewage, and data for the city running beneath the brownfield site.
Two significant bodies of water are also present on the site, which borders a canal and is located on land next to Doncaster’s waterfront near the city centre.
Despite its central location, the site has only housed small car parks, industrial units, and a scrapyard in recent years, with the former gasworks occupying much of the southern part of the land and a 19th century sewage pumping station in the northern zone.
Otherwise, the site is bordered by the River Don canal to the west, terraced houses to the north east, and Church Way to the south.
Funding has come from the UK government and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, with some of the £18.6m Levelling Up money being used on the scheme, and £6.2m from SYMCA’s Gainshare Fund.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “The Waterfront area was one of the largest brownfield sites in the North, with significant potential for development, it is now a prime site for development with incredible potential and within walking distance of the city centre and local, regional and national transport links.
“Waterfront East represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape our city centre and create a dynamic new neighbourhood that people are proud to live, work and invest in.
“We have already laid the foundations through significant public investment, infrastructure and strategic partnerships. Now we are inviting the development market to work with us to bring forward ambitious, high-quality proposals that will deliver new homes, jobs and long-term prosperity for Doncaster.
“This is a pivotal moment for our city, and we are looking for a partner who shares our vision & commitment to unlocking Doncaster’s growth potential, the land has been opened into a temporary public open space and I hope people take the time to have a look for themselves how this historic piece of land has been transformed.”
