Homes transform ex-mining site

From industrial wasteland to the biggest expansion of any town in the UK - these pictures show the dramatically changing face of Telford.nextpage

The former open-cast mining area of Lawley is being transformed into a £500 million development of 3,300 homes with offices, restaurants, bars, a school and shops.nextpage

Named Ironstone, it is the largest piece of development land left in Telford and will see a huge housing estate linking north and south Telford.nextpage

The Ironstone Developer Group is now due to start tree and woodland clearance works as part of phases two and three on Monday.nextpage

The work has to be completed by the end of this month, so it is done in advance of the bird-nesting season.nextpage

Councillors said the clearance at this stage would be taking place to ground level only, and the majority of the material would remain on site as chippings or mulch.nextpage

Project leaders named the development Ironstone to recognise the rich industrial heritage surrounding the area.