Future Prospects at Klondyke (do you see what we did there!)

In an update to our project at the former Klondyke Industrial Estate on the Isle of Sheppey,  Technical Director,  Andy O’Dea, outlines progress made and the next steps on the project.

The Klondike Gold Rush in Yukon in the final years of the 19th Century led to the migration of an estimated 100,000 prospectors hoping to make their fortunes in the Canadian wilderness.  Cognition Land and Water isn’t expecting to uncover gold in the ground at the former Klondyke Industrial Estate on the Isle of Sheppey.  However, the completion of our supplementary ground investigation to allow us to finalise the remediation design gives us confidence that we won’t find any nasty surprises in the ground either! 

Due to the industrial nature of the site and the activities that have been carried out there in the past (e.g., Sheppey Glue and Chemical Works), we are aware that there had been various rumours and anecdotes in the local community about significant buried contamination being present.  We are pleased to report that all of the investigations to date, including the recent supplementary ground investigation, have confirmed that, although contamination is present, it is not exceptional and only at a level that would be expected for a site of this nature.  We have proven through detailed analysis and assessment that minimal remediation is required to remove the residual risk to future users and the local environment.  This includes the excavation and removal of known contamination ‘hot spots’, removal of underground tanks, processing and treatment of all excavated soils, placement of a soil capping layer, and the installation of protective measures in pipework and buildings.  These are the works that Cognition will be undertaking over the coming year, commencing in March 2021. 

Activities that have been completed or are in progress include:

1. Ground investigation to better understand the exact nature and location of contamination in the ground;
2. Importation of soils to be used for landraising in accordance with the DoWCoP and our approved Materials Management Plan;
3. Vegetation clearance in the northern part of the site under the control of an ecological specialist and in accordance with an approved clearance plan;
4. Topographical and drone surveys carried out under commercial licence; and
5. Approval of our Remediation Implementation Plan by the Environment Agency. 

All of these works are being carried out by either Cognition Land and Water or our approved suppliers and are subject to various licenses, permits and agreements to ensure that the works are completed safely and to the level of quality expected Swale Borough Council and Homes England.  We have also engaged with the local community to keep them informed as to the activities onsite, the mitigation measures put in place to prevent harm to the public and the wider environment, and the remediation and regeneration proposals for the site. 

We are excited to continue our involvement in the regeneration of the Queenborough and Rushenden community and look forward to progressing the remediation and landraising works to de-risk the site and create the required development platform.  If you have any queries about our work on the regeneration of Queenborough and Rushenden or our wider contamination remediation and ground engineering capabilities, we would be please to talk.  So, avoid the rush and get in touch with our Technical Director, Andy O’Dea, on andy.odea@cognitionltd.co.uk or 07833 873 065.