Unfortunately the demo as planned did not go ahead today as the Granada Reports team were unable to make it. There might be some sort of repeat but don't hold your breath!
However I'm sure the developers will be aware of what's been happening and this will have the effect of focussing minds!
One of the main issues in this of course is the chance of airborne contamination via any proposed remediation work that might pose a direct health hazard to local residents.
Who should we listen to - the developers and their experts (obvious financial interest here), council officers and the expertise they have and can call on (there is some obvious and understandable financial interests in this but hopefully a sincere concern for the well being of residents) ranged against activists who might have a lot of research experience and hands on knowledge?
Please keep checking this site for further informaton and to follow the debate. Please leave any comments here you might have about any of the issues involved.
Friday 30 October 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
Eternit Demo
Granada News will be covering this event on Friday (tomorrow) at 12pm. Peter Brewin Derby Rd Residents group is asking as many people to make themselves available at this time. They will be meeting at the site opposite Clairemont Drive.
There are some views being expressed that the Derby Residents Group should wait until the council have thouroughly looked into the matter of remediation and decided whether to proceed with the proposals - I disagree with this position - balanced publicity opens up issues to further debate and scrutiny and the earlier this happens the better.
I think its important that in the interests of a balanced debate we should consider what the council's current position is. I spoke to Will Watson in the Environmental Health Dept recently and the following is an account of how he interprets the situation.
I wanted to get some idea of (i) the extent of the problem (ii) how it compared with the Rochdale case were the proposed development was turned down and (iii) what were the Environmental Health Depts current views.
Coincidently Will Watson was working with Rochdale Council at the time of the problems of the TAC site there so he is in a good position to give a balanced view in relation to comparisons.
He told me that there hadn’t been any in depth surveys carried out by the council on the Derby Rd site although he did mention that in the 1980’s the council had capped what had been a tip on the south side of the railway (not sure whether this related to work regarding to By Pass)
(i) Will said that the proposed plan would involve on the hotel and commercial units site the removal of all obstructions piping etc that contained a mixture of concrete and white asbestos. A main issue in this area is the brook that has material impacted with different types of asbestos down to a depth of 100 metres. This depth creates difficulties in relation to excavating the material so the area is to be capped
In the location were residential units are proposed, were it is considered there are less materials present, it would mean the removal of soils impacted with concrete and white asbestos material under what would be the sub base of the residential units. Some of these materials would be moved across the site to be capped with other materials in the hotel site/commercial units area. The remainder would be transported to specially designated landfill sites (not apparently Bold Heath Quarry)
(ii) The Eternit proposal compared with Rochdale differs in terms of the amount, predominance of the more dangerous types of asbestos and the depth of the material. In Rochdale there are greater amounts of asbestos material and a predominance of the more dangerous types of asbestos present and the depth of the materials tends to be greater. In contrast on the Derby Rd site the bulk of the material is on the surface and consists predominantly of the relatively more safe white asbestos bonded with cement.
There were plans in Rochdale to build 600 units on the site but the major concerns about the project were not so much about the dangers inherent in moving the asbestos material but that the developers could not satisfactorily demonstrate that the plans they had for remediation were viable. There actions were such that they tended to put the main players in the process off.
(iii) The view in the Envirnonmental Health Dept seems to be that if the developers can prove that at each stage of the remediation process they will be applying certain measures and they are able to substantiate the efficacy of this remediation than they would have no major objections about the proposal.
They are currently considering remediation plans put forward by developers and have involved a third party consultancy to ensure greater scrutiny.
I hope this is an accurate record of our discussion.
The health hazard issue about the development seems to come down to what are the chances of wind blown strands of asbestos occurring during the remedial work? If the proposal doesn't go ahead what is to happen to the site - it seems that the council will have a responsibilty to carry out remediation work on the site any way. Would this work follow similar lines to what has been proposed by the developers?
Its a dilemma for local residents in the area - if the development goes ahead would you like to live just yards away from such remediation work, even given assurances about the extremely minimal chances of being exposed to asbestos?
There are some views being expressed that the Derby Residents Group should wait until the council have thouroughly looked into the matter of remediation and decided whether to proceed with the proposals - I disagree with this position - balanced publicity opens up issues to further debate and scrutiny and the earlier this happens the better.
I think its important that in the interests of a balanced debate we should consider what the council's current position is. I spoke to Will Watson in the Environmental Health Dept recently and the following is an account of how he interprets the situation.
I wanted to get some idea of (i) the extent of the problem (ii) how it compared with the Rochdale case were the proposed development was turned down and (iii) what were the Environmental Health Depts current views.
Coincidently Will Watson was working with Rochdale Council at the time of the problems of the TAC site there so he is in a good position to give a balanced view in relation to comparisons.
He told me that there hadn’t been any in depth surveys carried out by the council on the Derby Rd site although he did mention that in the 1980’s the council had capped what had been a tip on the south side of the railway (not sure whether this related to work regarding to By Pass)
(i) Will said that the proposed plan would involve on the hotel and commercial units site the removal of all obstructions piping etc that contained a mixture of concrete and white asbestos. A main issue in this area is the brook that has material impacted with different types of asbestos down to a depth of 100 metres. This depth creates difficulties in relation to excavating the material so the area is to be capped
In the location were residential units are proposed, were it is considered there are less materials present, it would mean the removal of soils impacted with concrete and white asbestos material under what would be the sub base of the residential units. Some of these materials would be moved across the site to be capped with other materials in the hotel site/commercial units area. The remainder would be transported to specially designated landfill sites (not apparently Bold Heath Quarry)
(ii) The Eternit proposal compared with Rochdale differs in terms of the amount, predominance of the more dangerous types of asbestos and the depth of the material. In Rochdale there are greater amounts of asbestos material and a predominance of the more dangerous types of asbestos present and the depth of the materials tends to be greater. In contrast on the Derby Rd site the bulk of the material is on the surface and consists predominantly of the relatively more safe white asbestos bonded with cement.
There were plans in Rochdale to build 600 units on the site but the major concerns about the project were not so much about the dangers inherent in moving the asbestos material but that the developers could not satisfactorily demonstrate that the plans they had for remediation were viable. There actions were such that they tended to put the main players in the process off.
(iii) The view in the Envirnonmental Health Dept seems to be that if the developers can prove that at each stage of the remediation process they will be applying certain measures and they are able to substantiate the efficacy of this remediation than they would have no major objections about the proposal.
They are currently considering remediation plans put forward by developers and have involved a third party consultancy to ensure greater scrutiny.
I hope this is an accurate record of our discussion.
The health hazard issue about the development seems to come down to what are the chances of wind blown strands of asbestos occurring during the remedial work? If the proposal doesn't go ahead what is to happen to the site - it seems that the council will have a responsibilty to carry out remediation work on the site any way. Would this work follow similar lines to what has been proposed by the developers?
Its a dilemma for local residents in the area - if the development goes ahead would you like to live just yards away from such remediation work, even given assurances about the extremely minimal chances of being exposed to asbestos?
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Eternit Development - Demonstraters Needed!!
Peter Brewin from the Derby Rd Residents group phoned me last night to let me know that Granada Reports might be doing a slot on this issue.
Digging by Peter has revealed that a similar proposal at an identical site in Rochdale (same previous firm TAC as on old Everite site producing items containing asbestos) was opposed by local residents because of the possibility of acute health hazards. Their case was taken on by the Daily Mirror and was covered by regional TV companies. They were able to stop the proposal from going ahead.
Peter says that he's hoping to find out today if, and when, Granada will be doing the filming. If they do Granada has suggested that we have as many people (children included) as possible to be around during the filmimg and have placards etc (Peter is arranging for these to be made available.
If you can help let Peter know on 423 3941
Keep accessing this site to keep up to date
Digging by Peter has revealed that a similar proposal at an identical site in Rochdale (same previous firm TAC as on old Everite site producing items containing asbestos) was opposed by local residents because of the possibility of acute health hazards. Their case was taken on by the Daily Mirror and was covered by regional TV companies. They were able to stop the proposal from going ahead.
Peter says that he's hoping to find out today if, and when, Granada will be doing the filming. If they do Granada has suggested that we have as many people (children included) as possible to be around during the filmimg and have placards etc (Peter is arranging for these to be made available.
If you can help let Peter know on 423 3941
Keep accessing this site to keep up to date
Monday 26 October 2009
Green Pressure Pays Dividends!
I've just heard that the council is to carry out a survey in Barrows Green Lane regarding what the residents think about the installation of speed humps along the lane.
The Green Party along with other residents have been campaigning for over a year about HGV's and speeding traffic using the lane and one of the spin offs of this has been the setting up of the Lorry Watch scheme in 2008. The scheme has provided the police and the council with information about haulage firms contravening the weight restrictions on Barrows Green lane and Moorfield Rd.
The Green Party have been in touch with the council about other ways of combatting the problem - one of these has been considering the provision of different types of speed humps but this would obviously have to be with the consent of the majority of residents.
Initial reaction from the council didn't seem to be very positive. They indicated that there weren't sufficient monies available to consider such a project. But it seems that the pressure placed on the council from Lorry Watch and the Green Party and individual residents has paid dividends.
This is a clear example how Green Party involvement in a community can get things moving particularly when the main council administration, in this case Labour, is under pressure electorally.
In the Halton View ward situation the fact that the Greens are 130 votes behind Labour and stand a good chance of taking the seat next year seems to be galvanising the Labour Party into action in the ward.
The Green Party along with other residents have been campaigning for over a year about HGV's and speeding traffic using the lane and one of the spin offs of this has been the setting up of the Lorry Watch scheme in 2008. The scheme has provided the police and the council with information about haulage firms contravening the weight restrictions on Barrows Green lane and Moorfield Rd.
The Green Party have been in touch with the council about other ways of combatting the problem - one of these has been considering the provision of different types of speed humps but this would obviously have to be with the consent of the majority of residents.
Initial reaction from the council didn't seem to be very positive. They indicated that there weren't sufficient monies available to consider such a project. But it seems that the pressure placed on the council from Lorry Watch and the Green Party and individual residents has paid dividends.
This is a clear example how Green Party involvement in a community can get things moving particularly when the main council administration, in this case Labour, is under pressure electorally.
In the Halton View ward situation the fact that the Greens are 130 votes behind Labour and stand a good chance of taking the seat next year seems to be galvanising the Labour Party into action in the ward.
Sunday 25 October 2009
Green Party Goes General in 2010!
Breaking and fantastic news (for me) - the opportunity to vote Green in a general election! There are so many reasons to be considering voting Green in the General Election next year at such a crucial time for us all. Please take time to have a look at the Green New deal policies on the Green Party's national website, see below, and if you want more information please let me know.
Here's the press release we're issuing this week.
"Halton Green Party is to stand a candidate in the 2010 general election. This is the first time that a Green Party candidate has stood in a general election in Halton.
Jim Craig, is a founding member of Halton Green Party. He was born in Liverpool, and grew up and went to school in Runcorn. He is currently a resident of Halton Lodge in Runcorn.
Jim is concerned about how much politics has been devalued over recent months owing to the expenses scandal and would like to see it cleaned up thoroughly.
He believes that the Green party has the right policies for the challenging times we face,
“Green policies help create a stable economy, jobs and a healthier and safer way of life. These form part of our Green New Deal and tackle the most pressing problems of today:
· Fixing the financial system so banks are no longer too big to fail
· Energy efficiency measures for homes, schools and hospitals to create 80,000 jobs, cut fuel bills and reduce harmful emissions
· Free social care for the elderly, improving quality of life and creating 60,000 jobs
· Creating 200,000 jobs through a massive increase in the amount of energy from renewable sources, such as wind power
The message for the general election is clear, you don't have to choose between jobs and the environment. The Greens offer the best of both worlds”.
Learn more about the Green Party in Halton here www.haltongreenparty.org and read more about the Green New Deal here http://www.greenparty.org.uk/policies/economy.html
(For further information please contact Derek Mellor on 0151 423 1692 /07772381933) or Peter Cranie on 07875492072
26/10/09
ENDS
Here's the press release we're issuing this week.
"Halton Green Party is to stand a candidate in the 2010 general election. This is the first time that a Green Party candidate has stood in a general election in Halton.
Jim Craig, is a founding member of Halton Green Party. He was born in Liverpool, and grew up and went to school in Runcorn. He is currently a resident of Halton Lodge in Runcorn.
Jim is concerned about how much politics has been devalued over recent months owing to the expenses scandal and would like to see it cleaned up thoroughly.
He believes that the Green party has the right policies for the challenging times we face,
“Green policies help create a stable economy, jobs and a healthier and safer way of life. These form part of our Green New Deal and tackle the most pressing problems of today:
· Fixing the financial system so banks are no longer too big to fail
· Energy efficiency measures for homes, schools and hospitals to create 80,000 jobs, cut fuel bills and reduce harmful emissions
· Free social care for the elderly, improving quality of life and creating 60,000 jobs
· Creating 200,000 jobs through a massive increase in the amount of energy from renewable sources, such as wind power
The message for the general election is clear, you don't have to choose between jobs and the environment. The Greens offer the best of both worlds”.
Learn more about the Green Party in Halton here www.haltongreenparty.org and read more about the Green New Deal here http://www.greenparty.org.uk/policies/economy.html
(For further information please contact Derek Mellor on 0151 423 1692 /07772381933) or Peter Cranie on 07875492072
26/10/09
ENDS
Sunday 18 October 2009
Everite Plans, Health Hazard Issue
Halton's planning committee are to discuss a proposal to develop the old Everite now Eternit site probably within a month and they are wanting queries/objections re the issue to be received by the end of this week. I hadn't picked up on this until somebody living in Farnworth contacted me last night for my help.
The development would include a hotel and one hundred and twentythree residential units and apparantly involve the capping of contaminated land where the hotel is planned to be (Everite offices) and removal of possible hazardous material (asbestos) where the housing units are going to be sited (nearer the village centre).
I'm extremely busy at the moment and explained to the person I couldn't give a detailed response in such a short time although I did suggest if he hadn't already covered the following to consider using them as a template for a response:
1) Concern about the issue of the moving of hazardous material on local roads.
2) The expectation would be and should be stated in objecting or querying the matter that a full environmental impact assessment should be carried out in relation to this together with mitigation measures and a full Health Impact assessment.
3) The short term impact of works HGV's related to the project using roads in Halton - It's estimated that if the various distribution and other industrial developments that are in the pipeline in Halton at the moment go ahead there is a potential for an increase of up to around 800 HGV's per 24 hours using local roads. (600 HGV movements from the proposed Halebank rail freight development alone - figures from Halton Council) - the Eternit development could possibly add to this dependent on the timescale of all the other projects involved
4) The impact of the number of dwellings planned and related infrastructure on the "village feel" of Farnworth village centre.
5) Concerns re road access.
I'll be sending a brief response along these lines to the council - if you want a copy of this plse phone me on 0151 423 1692
If you want further info re matter contact Peter March on petermarch31@hotmail.com whose campaigning against the development.
Also send your emails querying or objecting to proposal to Planning at dev.control@halton-borough.gov.uk
The development would include a hotel and one hundred and twentythree residential units and apparantly involve the capping of contaminated land where the hotel is planned to be (Everite offices) and removal of possible hazardous material (asbestos) where the housing units are going to be sited (nearer the village centre).
I'm extremely busy at the moment and explained to the person I couldn't give a detailed response in such a short time although I did suggest if he hadn't already covered the following to consider using them as a template for a response:
1) Concern about the issue of the moving of hazardous material on local roads.
2) The expectation would be and should be stated in objecting or querying the matter that a full environmental impact assessment should be carried out in relation to this together with mitigation measures and a full Health Impact assessment.
3) The short term impact of works HGV's related to the project using roads in Halton - It's estimated that if the various distribution and other industrial developments that are in the pipeline in Halton at the moment go ahead there is a potential for an increase of up to around 800 HGV's per 24 hours using local roads. (600 HGV movements from the proposed Halebank rail freight development alone - figures from Halton Council) - the Eternit development could possibly add to this dependent on the timescale of all the other projects involved
4) The impact of the number of dwellings planned and related infrastructure on the "village feel" of Farnworth village centre.
5) Concerns re road access.
I'll be sending a brief response along these lines to the council - if you want a copy of this plse phone me on 0151 423 1692
If you want further info re matter contact Peter March on petermarch31@hotmail.com whose campaigning against the development.
Also send your emails querying or objecting to proposal to Planning at dev.control@halton-borough.gov.uk
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Quarries/Landfills and missed opportunities?
I was saddened to hear the result of the public inquiry into Bold Heath Quarry/Landfill.
The fight against this development has been going on for years and supported by a range of residents organisations and political parties including Halton Green Party particularly the work of Maureen Miller. The result shows how relatively recent legislation is really operating in the developers favour.
Local democracy has been clearly swept aside by this decision and seems to count for nothing. And there's nothing we can do about it. At the end of the day if the developer perseveres, crosses the 't's' and dots the 'i's' that's it - end of the line.
It's also yet another development in the area that will see the increase of HGV's on local roads. See earlier blogs for discussion on how the council seems to be creating one big hub of a logistics and distribution centre in Halton. Do we really want this?
The green revolution in relation to the accelerating demand for alternative energy technologies is on our doorstep the opportunities are there but are we?
Maybe the fact that Halton is in the lowest 5% in the country in relation to skills levels of school leavers is why we seem to be bearing the brunt of this focus on a low skills economy. OK technically we have Daresbury and what goes with it but that's Daresbury a far away world from the lack of opportunity epidemic that blights some of our more deprived areas.
Maybe the council is working on attracting the booming alternative technology industry here, maybe its not that easy and there are sound reasons for the way it is - I don't know. Do you?
The fight against this development has been going on for years and supported by a range of residents organisations and political parties including Halton Green Party particularly the work of Maureen Miller. The result shows how relatively recent legislation is really operating in the developers favour.
Local democracy has been clearly swept aside by this decision and seems to count for nothing. And there's nothing we can do about it. At the end of the day if the developer perseveres, crosses the 't's' and dots the 'i's' that's it - end of the line.
It's also yet another development in the area that will see the increase of HGV's on local roads. See earlier blogs for discussion on how the council seems to be creating one big hub of a logistics and distribution centre in Halton. Do we really want this?
The green revolution in relation to the accelerating demand for alternative energy technologies is on our doorstep the opportunities are there but are we?
Maybe the fact that Halton is in the lowest 5% in the country in relation to skills levels of school leavers is why we seem to be bearing the brunt of this focus on a low skills economy. OK technically we have Daresbury and what goes with it but that's Daresbury a far away world from the lack of opportunity epidemic that blights some of our more deprived areas.
Maybe the council is working on attracting the booming alternative technology industry here, maybe its not that easy and there are sound reasons for the way it is - I don't know. Do you?
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