An investment of more than £11m from national regeneration agency English Partnerships is set to transform a disused tip into a green space for the local community to enjoy.

Once the extensive clean-up work is complete, people living near the former Hesley Wood Tip in Chapeltown, near Sheffield, will have access to a safe, attractive environment that will support a range of wildlife. The community will be able to explore the site through a network of public footpaths. There is also room in the proposal for the construction of over two kilometres of cycle track.

The £11.3m investment will come from English Partnerships’ National Coalfields Programme. Designed to breathe new life into the former coalfield communities, Hesley Wood is the final site in Yorkshire to secure funding as part of the programme.

English Partnerships will work together with Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, and local regeneration body Renaissance South Yorkshire to regenerate the site. The partners will now appoint a contractor to carry out the reclamation before submitting a full planning application for the new uses of the site.

The 44.3 ha Hesley Wood former tip site took waste from the Smithywood Colliery. It is in a prominent position a short distance from junction 35 of the M1. The brownfield site sits within the green belt on the eastern edge of Chapeltown, approximately 10.5km to the north east of Sheffield.

Rob Pearson, Area Director for English Partnerships, said: “English Partnerships has been working with partners and local people to find creative and sustainable ways of providing new opportunities for former coalfield communities.

“Yorkshire has a majority of the sites within the National Coalfields Programme. These have all now received funding approval and we are well on our way to completing the programme with wide scale benefits in terms of jobs, homes and leisure uses.”

Ian Bramley, Head of Property & Coalfields at Renaissance South Yorkshire, said: “This funding will enable a large contaminated brownfield site to be reclaimed and given back to the local community to enjoy.

“The people of Chapeltown have been involved in the decision-making process throughout. When considering the options, there was naturally an emphasis on leisure and recreational uses of the site due to its green belt status. This funding will ensure that the local community is able to enjoy Hesley Wood safely in the future.”