Rabbit Ings is the former colliery yard and spoil heap of the Monkton Colliery and then the Royston Drift Mine which closed in 1989.

The 66 hectare site is situated near Royston in South Yorkshire and is largely owned by Wakefield Council.

The reclamation of the site is supported through the Government's National Coalfield Programme being implemented by the Homes and Communities Agency in partnership with Wakefield Council and Yorkshire Forward.  It will be reclaimed to provide public open space with landscaping to create a new Country Park.

Planning permission for the creation of a Country Park was granted by Barnsley Council in March 2009, and the main reclamation contract commenced in autumn 2009. The site currently suffers environmental degradation with large areas of bare shale.  The slopes of the 40m high tip are very steep in places and potentially dangerous.  The reclamation scheme will involve earth moving to lessen the slopes and make it possible for new vegetation to become established.  Over 130,000 tonnes of soil making material will be used on site to create new areas of woodland, heathland and grassland habitats.

New footpaths and cycletracks will be made, and there will be areas of extensive tree and shrub planting.  There will also be a new area prepared for sports pitches with access from Lund Hill Lane.  Barnsley Council and the Royston and Carlton Community Partnership plan to build changing facilities and a car park as part of their management of the sports pitches.

The main engineering contract started on site in September 2009 and the works are expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

Last update: 7 July 2010