The South Bank site as well as being the location for the South Bank Quay also contains some of the most contaminated areas on Teesworks and has during development been used for storage of large quantities of contaminated materials.

Teesworks for all of the preparation of the ground and during construction of the South Bank Quay was an upper tier COMAH site mainly due to the materials left behind from over a century of coke manufacture, resulting in a large legacy of 1000s of tonnes of coal tar derived materials being left on the South Bank site alone. The COMAH citation (Teesworks - COMAH Status) while being primarily concerned with human safety, also stresses the severe hazards that these materials present to the aquatic environment.

The images below show the changes, documented by drone flights over the site, for which we acknowledge the owners of the YouTube footage used.

Thompsons of Prudhoe submission for the global 2023 Demolition Awards - From South Bank Coke Oven to flattened site.

Foundations of coke by-products plant, benzole plant, gas holder and numerous other tanks visible.

Large grey piles near river are presumably made ground removed from across site, either awaiting crushing or too contaminated to be used. Not sure where material removed from excluded dredge is, but could be small dark pile to south east of main pile. Some evidence of rubble walls presumably to act as bunding but broken by vehicle routes.

Partial removal of made ground above riverbank being converted to river, showing river able to wash contaminants continuously from bank into river.

View across whole South Bank site showing level of surface water present on both worked areas and unworked areas, suggesting other routes for contaminants to enter water courses over time.

Athena in position with little change to coke ovens area.

Athena in operation with considerable contaminated material on old river bank left exposed to river.

Work underway on coke ovens site.

View of piles - river bank fully removed.

Coke oven foundations removed.

Changes in piles.

There is evidence of ongoing material processing continuing on the site of the South Bank Coke Ovens and By-products site.

These two images show materials being prepared

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