Still Waiting For Answers at Spodden Valley

Lorna Fitzsimons MP and Spodden Valley Campaigners

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Local people are still waiting for answers from Countryside Properties PLC about the confirmation of exposed asbestos fibres in woodland of the Spodden Valley.

This follows a denial on national radio last month by Countryside's Ian Simpson about a problem with exposed asbestos. When questioned by John Waite on Radio 4's You and Yours Programme, Mr Simpson concluded that local people were "wrong". He added that all dumped asbestos on the site was "capped".

BBC Radio 4 has returned to the asbestos factory site to update national listeners about recent events and the calls for all facts about the site to be made public. Local people have repeatedly called for the exposed fibres to be investigated

Following a recent meeting with Countryside Properties and site owner MMC Developments, Jason Addy from Save Spodden Valley wrote to Mr Simpson requesting permission to have site samples independently tested.  Different areas around the site were suggested for testing:

• From tree roots containing large clumps of exposed grey fibre. This is in woodland about 100 metres from the proposed development site.
• From soil disturbed by large-scale clear-felling of woodland in May 2004 - this is an area where a planning application has been made for housing.

A response to this request for independent testing is awaited. A short letter from Countryside Properties was received recently saying that Mr Simpson was on holiday.

Save Spodden Valley campaigners addressed the Parliamentary Asbestos sub-committee at Westminster last week. The meeting was attended by MP, Lorna Fitszimons, peers and a variety of national asbestos experts. It was acknowledged that the former Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) site in Rochdale is one of international significance given its history of producing a material that has damaged the health of so many people.

The all-party group received information on TBA documents that described the asbestos dust levels and amounts of asbestos dumped by the factory during its heyday in the 1950's and 1960's.

Recommendations were made to contact the Deputy Prime Minister to appoint a planning inspector to consider the controversial planning application for over 600 houses and a children's nursery for the site of what was the world's largest asbestos factory.