Polkemmet Case Study
From open cast coal mine to
championship golf course
The Heartlands Polkemmet reclamation scheme is
the largest of its kind in Scotland. Years of deep and
open cast mining operations at the site have left it
with more than four million cubic metres of colliery
waste, devoid of any soil and in desperate need of
restoration.
From open cast coal mine to championship golf course
2
Key facts
Compost is an excellent source of organic matter, giving the
soil a more workable structure leading to improved root
growth, and better plant establishment.
„ Compost mulches can act as a protective barrier to the soil
surface which helps reduce weeds, retain moisture and control
erosion.
„ Compost includes beneficial micro-organisms that contribute
towards plant disease suppression.
„ Different particle size grades of compost are available for a
range of landscaping operations. Finer grades can be mixed in
to act as a soil improver or a top dressing. Coarser, woodier
fractions are most suitable to act as a stable, effective and long
lasting mulch.
„
Background
The Heartlands
Polkemmet reclamation
scheme is the largest of
its kind in Scotland.
Years of deep and open
cast mining operations
at the site have left it
with more than four
million cubic metres of
colliery waste, devoid of
any soil and in desperate need of restoration. The aim of the
project is to transform the 470 hectare former open cast coal mine
into two championship golf courses, leisure facilities and
residential housing.
From open cast coal mine to championship golf course
3
Method
Ecosse Regeneration, the owners of the site, wanted to remediate
the land in a sustainable and cost effective way, avoiding the
traditional method of exporting contaminated materials and
subsoils from the site and importing new topsoil.
Ecosse Regeneration was therefore keen to research the benefits
of using compost to manufacture a suitable topsoil for
construction of the golf courses.
Initial trials were
conducted in conjunction
with European Turfgrass
Laboratories to
determine the optimum
mix of compost and
shale. Key assessment
criteria included
percolation rate, water
retention capacity and nutrient status. These trials identified that
mixes (by volume) of 70:30 and 75:25 colliery waste:compost
provided the required characteristics for ideal growing conditions.
Weathering trials, using freezing and compaction techniques, were
then conducted by WBB Minerals to assess the stability of the
75:25 blend over time.
The second phase of trials took place in the field, where a
2,000m3 trial plot was established, in which the two different soil
blends were tested for their ability to support six different golf
course grass mixes over a three month period. 750 cubic metres
of PAS 100 compost was used in these trials, which concluded in
September 2006 and were conducted by PGA Design Consulting.
From open cast coal mine to championship golf course
4
Results
Despite late sowing and a heavy frost, the field trials revealed
strong grass growth. Although no fertiliser was used during the
trial period, the six grassland strips saw strong, disease-free
growth.
Whilst the trials did not reveal significant differences in the
capability of the two blends to support grass growth, it was
thought that the soil containing the higher proportion of compost
could offer better nutrient availability in the longer term.
Project manager at
Ecosse Regeneration,
Alex Muirhead,
explained: “We wanted
to regenerate the site in
a cost effective and
sustainable way so we
initially trialled quality
compost mixed with
colliery shale to
manufacture topsoil on a small section of the site.
“Quality compost offers an excellent balance of water and nutrient
retention properties when mixed with screened colliery shale and
we were pleased with the results from the trial, which showed
rapid and uniform establishment of turf grasses without weed
problems.
“The trials also produced cost benefits, particularly when
comparing the cost of manufacturing the blended compost and
colliery waste to importing topsoil.”
From open cast coal mine to championship golf course
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The main benefits from the trials were:
Significant cost savings generated by import of locally available
compost for soil manufacture, rather than import of topsoil
„ Reduced maintenance costs
„
These factors combined to produce a cost saving over imported
topsoil of approximately £10 per tonne, with costs for the
manufactured topsoil (including spreading and seeding),
calculated at £7.22 a tonne.
Conclusion
These trials clearly demonstrate that manufacturing topsoil using a
mixture of screened colliery shale and compost can not only
provide ideal growing conditions for golf course turf, but can also
significantly reduce the cost of regenerating the land when
compared with topsoil import. The trials also suggested that
longer term growth and cost (maintenance) benefits may be
possible using compost-based manufactured soil.
Following the successful completion of the trials, the project has
now moved into phase two, which is seeing the programme of soil
manufacture with compost being rolled out across the whole site.
The next phase is using more than 15,000 tonnes of quality BSI
PAS 100 compost to regenerate the site and create the
championship golf courses.
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