Project
Creswell Colliery Lagoons
Project Information
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Overview
Three former settlement lagoons, on the southern side of the colliery village of Creswell and close to the Creswell Crags World Heritage Site, form part of a legacy of coal mining in north Derbyshire that has left many unattractive and unusable features.
The restoration proposal, given planning consent in 2018, fills these large pits with inert material, re-shaping them into a more sympathetic characteristic landform for the benefit of wildlife. The LEMP – prepared by DSA with the ecologists at Baker Consulting, and approved through negotiations with Derbyshire County Council – details how this will be achieved. The LEMP also includes proposals to integrate the site into the surrounding path network to enable people to enjoy the
new landscape.
The importation works were completed in summer 2025. Woodland planting was completed in early 2026. The proposal supported Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) targets by providing habitats for species such as the grass snake, bullfinch, skylark and dingy skipper.
The site is split into three management zones: Zone A comprises the access route; Zone B comprises the woodland fringe and proposes largely to retain the areas of woodland planting on the northern facing slope; and Zone C consists of the site’s ‘core’ with the aim of creating habitat.
DSA continue to monitor the site. Early indications are that the works have been highly successful in creating a rich and varied new habitat, especially for butterflies.