This brownfield six acre site sat within the settlement boundary. The back to back pit houses had been cleared many years previously. While the remenants remained they were not a significant block on progress and contamination was negligable following ground invesigations.

Three key difficulties had been holding back the site and all were eventually resolved through negotiation and a professional planning and technical approach.

Value clawback arrangements with British Coal were renegotiated so that the vendor satisfied these within the purchase price so that the true net value was that agreed with the vendor.

An aspect that had proven difficult for others was that a variety of garages and workshops had been illegally built on the land over the years and these were preventing development. Ordinarily a legal eviction route would be taken but this would have not only been poor practice in a tight-knit former mining community but it would have taken time and risked the purchase falling through. Instead, senior community members were sought out and they assisted in bringing together a meeting at the local club and eventually the users of the structures voted and agreed that they would relinquish for a relatively nominal payment. Ultimately, monetary concerns were largely overridden by the desire to see the village revive its fortunes for young families who wanted to remain in new homes close to family. 

A further difficulty arose at the nearby off-site junction where inadequate visibility splays prevented the development because of the increased traffic movements. The District Valuer was engaged and while the adjoining landowner was amenable to selling land to facilitate satisfactory sightlines, their price created an off-site 'ransom strip' situation which was insoluble. An alternative solution was needed so by engaging a former Highways Authority engineer a method was devised which did not require the ransom strip and the sight lines could be achieved entirely within the existing highway by making alterations under statutory powers.