Woodland Road Closed Off - Mystery Soil Disturbances?

Road Closed

The whole of Woodland Road has been closed off today after reports that local people have been disturbing soil on the site of the old asbestos factory which is potentially fatal to people in the surrounding area.

Woodland Road (from Rooley Moor Road to Dell Road) has had an Emergency Closure notice put on it, as immediate threats to public health have been cited.

As it is also a years anniversary to the day that the Woodland was destroyed in this area,  suspicion is beginning to rise that there may be other reasons for the road being closed.

Jason Addy from Save Spodden Valley says that the allegations that people have been removing soil from the site is “ absolute nonsense”, as there is no obvious reason for someone to risk their life by removing the soil:

"It is very odd that this serious allegation about public health wasn't mentioned by the developers at a meeting with councillors and the head of the Planning Department last Thursday.” He said.

 “Are local people taking soil off the land? -A few months ago the  developers were falsely suggesting that local people had dumped asbestos on the land "to cause trouble"! Is this nonsense what we have to put up with in the months to come?”

 “The last 12 months must have been very embarrassing for the developers and their contractors. Public vigilance has kept our community safe. Eyewitness accounts and photographs have ensured there is hard evidence of wrongdoing and questionable activity on the site.”

Cllr Wera Hobhouse is rightfully concerned about the news: “Scientific research says that there is a high asbestos cancer risk within 2 km of the source of asbestos. If there is now a danger to public health by walking along the footpath, then there is a danger for people living and working in the whole of the neighbourhood.” She said.

“Closing the footpath on public health grounds is only a half measure. If there really is a risk, a much wider area needs to be closed off.”

Jason Addy continued to explain why this may appear suspicious: “To ban the public from paths for 18 months is rather convenient for the developers. What could go on throughout site without public scrutiny? For the developers to quote 'Public safety' is an insult.”

“No reasonable person would object to proper health and safety  precautions -temporary fencing of areas of danger, temporary closure to small stretches of rights of way.

” Is this a genuine health and safety measure or an excuse to keep people away? What is to happen to people who live next to the site or work in the  factory buildings?”

Updates will appear on Rochdale Online as we receive them.