Brownfields in UK and Czech RepublicAn Engineer’s Experience

Presentation for COBRAMAN Training Programme5th Training, 21st – 22nd September 2010

Dr. Martin Duris

Introduction

PBA – Engineering Consultancy 500 staff in total 400 staff in UK, 100 overseas Prague Office since 1999 Brownfields Regeneration and Land

Development are the main business areas HQ located in Reading, former industrial

centre in SE England

Reading

History – industrial city: brewing, biscuits (Huntley and Palmers), bulbs, bricks

Dull, undesirable place to live in or visit

Reading

Regeneration over the past 20 years has changed Reading out of recognition

Production changed to high tech IT companies (Microsoft, Oracle) with offices in the centre, leading to pedestrianisation

Huntley & Palmers demolished, just one building left

Reading

City centre regeneration included construction of a major shopping centre – The Oracle

Reading

New business was also attracted with extensive regeneration of edge of town sites:

- Thames Valley Park, former coal-fired power station

- Green Park, former landfill & other low grade land

- Madejski Stadium, former landfill, now home to a Premierships team

Reading

Reading

Reading

Reading is now one of the top SE destinations for retail (The Oracle Centre)

The Reading area is one of the best performing regions in the country

It has become a desirable destination

Prague & Czech Republic

Has not benefitted from the post-WWII growth as UK Many old factories, dilapidated industrial estates Poor maintenance, poor quality of construction,

heavy pollution Sometimes arrogant decision-making by the ruling

party left big scars Proper regeneration activities started only 10 to 15

years ago Issues identical to UK, but delayed, some issues

more prominent, lack of public funds

Prague

Zizkov Cargo Station redevelopment Former cargo station, full of old tracks, buildings and

contamination Massive size – 55 ha Two private developers – Discovery and Sekyra

Group Discovery – northern part, 30 ha, 1st phase 6 ha Future uses – residential, office, retail (300m x

120m), hotel Project value CZK 6 billion

Zizkov Cargo Station

Zizkov Cargo Station

Zizkov Cargo Station

Prague

Laser Centre Dolni Brezany ELI – Extreme Light Infrastructure (laser) Former wood processing plant Site 8 ha, buildings 35,000 m2 EU-funded, supported by Ministry of

Education & Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Four buildings: laser hall, labs, offices, lecture halls, library, gallery

Project value CZK 1 billion

ELI Laser Centre

ELI Laser Centre

Engineer’s role

Developments can be Engineer - led Green Park – PBA were approached by the

landowner 25 years ago for advice on how to develop the land

Opportunities identified, PBA approached Prudential as a potential investor

Green Park has become one of Pru’s flagship projects

Same story with Thames Valley Park PBA still look to introduce potential investors to land

that needs another use (quarries, landfill sites, etc)

Brownfield vs. Greenfield

Often high clean-up costs, public funding often necessary (gas works, heavy metal manufacturing particularly onerous)

Service diversions and tight access frequent issues Advantages in town centre – connectivity to public

transport and well served by the utilities Greater attention now given to retain & restore

industrial buildings – more sustainable, retains character of the site

Greater emphasis placed on retaining or establishing communities through mixed use developments, even business parks

Some recent redevelopments were too sweeping, removed character & critically damaged or destroyed communities

Image & Wealth

Regeneration stimulates growth, but: Needs to be supported by local availability of

skills Businesses need to be willing to relocate

and/or expand (attractive image) New communities must be created Mix of old character and new imaginative

landscaping Public money needed for clean-up

Image Change