Goldthorpe Railway Cuttings

Year | 2016

Location | Goldthorpe Railway Cuttings, Goldthorpe

Clients | The Railway Embankment Group

This project is focused on Goldthorpe; a former mining village in South Yorkshire. Since the closure of the mines in the 1980s the community has struggled economically. The village still carries the physical and psychological scars of its industrial past, and is struggling to find a new sense of purpose.

The potential has arisen for the local community to take possession of a section of the railway cuttings from Network Rail and recreate them as a neighbourhood resource.

The Railway Embankment Group were established in 2015 to address the unused piece of land that is the Goldthorpe Railway Cuttings. This group is formed of local representatives, including the Dearne Area Team, The Salvation Army, current landowners of the site Network Rail, Goldthorpe Primary School and local Dearne residents. Goldthorpe and Bolton on Dearne Big Local are also key stakeholders for the project. In collaboration with the Railway Embankment Group, the Live Project team worked to take this plan forward, re-imagining the disused railway cutting by visualizing and evaluating possible new uses.

Working with the local community to develop and test ideas; we worked to identify potential funding streams and develop a timeframe and action plan for implementation of a design proposal as well as a new governance structure.

The design proposed interconnected spaces for play, education and leisure as well turning the site into the diverse natural habitat it has the potential to be. The design will weave the legacy of its former use with the new activities on site; symbolising a future of the cuttings, and Goldthorpe, whilst remembering its past.

A key part of this project was engaging with the wider community of Goldthorpe. This was done on a number of levels – from the ‘Pop-up Fair’ consultation event to small school workshops. We have provided a number of ways schools and other community groups can be involved in the legacy of this project. This will help to maintain and continue the level of momentum and excitement the project has built.

The Live Project provided;

• A detailed feasibility study

• An interactive model for the community to engage with

• Travelling postbox as means of continuing to engage the public

• An exhibition in Goldthorpe that engaged with key stakeholders

• A website to both explain and keep the public up to date on the project. This includes a virtual tour of the site.

• Social media presence

Credits

Mentor:

Dan Jary