Orgreave Inquiry members visit Rotherham site of infamous 1984 clash between police and picketers
The Catcliffe site of the coking plant and colliery - which once covered a vast area of 740 to 841 acres - is now home to the Waverley community
Members of the Orgreave Inquiry have visited the site of the former coking plant - at the centre of the infamous 1984 clash between police and picketers.
Their visit formed part of the Inquiry’s preparatory work - intended to assist panel members in understanding the layout, geography and physical context of the location where events took place.
The Catcliffe site of the coking plant and colliery - which once covered a vast area of 740 to 841 acres - is now home to the £50m Waverley community - including housing, and the Advanced Manufacturing Park.
On June 18, 1984, picketers targeted Orgreave to disrupt deliveries of coal, with miners up and down the country travelling to South Yorkshire to support the movement as they were faced with the reality of a potential 20,000 job losses.
More than 100 people were injured in the ensuing violence as strikers and police clashed, while 95 people were arrested - though none ultimately faced conviction after police evidence was discredited.
During the visit, chair and Bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox and panel members including former Crown Prosecution Service chief prosecutor Wendy Williams CBE viewed key areas of the site and its surroundings.
They included locations relevant to movement, access routes and the spatial relationship between different parts of the site.
Commenting on the visit, Revd Wilcox said: “Visiting the Orgreave site has been an important part of our preparatory work.
“It allows the Panel and I to better understand the physical setting in which events unfolded, which will assist us as the Inquiry progresses”.
The long-awaited inquiry is expected to analyse policing tactics and prepare a full report of the day’s events by spring 2028.
Revd Wilcox told the Star during its launch he hoped findings may finally begin to heal the divide left between former mining communities and the state. “That’s my great hope,” he told The Star.
“The events on June 18, 1984, had a very severe impact, not just on individuals but in communities - not just across South Yorkshire, but beyond in former mining communities.
“I think for trust to be restored, truth has to be told.” The independent inquiry officially launched on March 26 - with the panel gathering evidence from the public until May 22.