Doncaster Waterfront remediation project update

by Heather Hamilton

A section of one of the UK’s largest brownfield redevelopment projects is now underway on a large area of land next to Doncaster’s waterfront in Doncaster city centre.

The 8.89ha site known as Doncaster Waterfront East is a priority regeneration area for the city of Doncaster and is bounded by Church Way to the south, the River Don – a canal that includes a section of the river – to the west, and terraced houses to the north-east.

Despite its prime location, the site has been underutilised for years, with only several small car parks, industrial units and a scrapyard located there, as well as a former late 19th century sewage pumping station within the northern part of the site. The lack of development at the site is due largely to the gasworks that once occupied most of its southern zone.

Image credit: City of Doncaster Council

The remediation project is seeking to clean up and breathe new life into the site to prepare it for future development and regeneration. The project is being delivered by the City of Doncaster Council and is part-funded by the UK government and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

Some of the £18.6m Levelling Up money received from central government will go towards the waterfront remediation. An additional £6.2m from the SYMCA Gainshare Fund in 2024 has also been received, some of which has already gone towards funding the Waterfront East remediation.

The end use for the site has yet to be established; however, it is hoped to create new open spaces, including a marina and a public square. The Council is currently in discussions with a developer to work up proposals.

The Waterfront East remediation is one part of a much larger long term regeneration programme across Doncaster. The council is progressing various other key projects across the city centre as part of this, including a regeneration of Waterfront West, which is further advanced.

In 2023, multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard was appointed by the council to deliver project management, cost management, quantity surveying, civil engineering, health and safety, and environmental services for this remediation project, alongside main contractor Keltbray.

All parties have been working with the Canal & River Trust on works that border the canal and the river and with environmental health officers on an environmental management plan for the contaminated land risk at the site, and the Forestry Commission to gain consent for the removal of certain trees across the site.

The biggest issue has been the many utilities that cross the site. These include several gas mains, a main sewage line, telecoms cables and drainage channels. About half the gas, the sewage and the data for the city runs beneath the site. Two significant water bodies also cross the site.

The remediation works are currently ongoing, with completion of all activities, including validation testing and landscaping, anticipated in early February 2026.