The issue of Asbestos and Spodden Valley...

Paul Rowen MP in the House of Commons chambers

Paul Rowen

Paul Rowen MP addresses the issue of Asbestos and Spodden Valley: Deciding whether it’s safe to build on a piece of land is fairly straightforward, right? You just get the surveyors in, look at the architectural plans and make a judgement. If there’s any risk that the land’s contaminated, you can just take a sample, send it to the lab, and some boffin in a white coat can tell us if the site is harmful or not. And the whole thing would be overseen by the government to make sure that it the process is impartial and in the public interest.

Well, you’d be forgiven for thinking so. But the twists and turns surrounding the proposed development at Spodden Valley continue to show, it’s just not that simple. As Rochdale Online has already reported, there are those who would have us believe that there is no asbestos onsite.

The developers, Countryside Properties, have been keen to reassure everybody that the land is safe to build on. At a public meeting of councillors and planners on May 12th developers stated that Institute of Occupational Medicine tests were negative for asbestos.

However, the Save Spodden Valley group have evidence to show that some samples taken on the site were up to 23 times over the “safe” limit for asbestos. Countryside Properties have admitted that the Save Spodden Valley group was correct, and that they were talking about one particular type of sample, and not all the samples they had taken! Local residents believe that the developers have deliberately misled them and local councillors by wilfully omitting relevant facts. They are now demanding a public inquiry.

Even if it is proved that there is asbestos on the site, experts disagree on how damaging it could be. Recent research suggests that children could be up to 1,000 times more at risk than previously thought when exposed to the Health and Safety Executive’s “acceptable levels” of asbestos! It turns out that previous research was based on adults working at a factory, and not children being born and raised in a contaminated home.

Everyone knows that asbestos is deadly. In the four months I have been Rochdale’s MP I’ve seem what a big problem asbestosis still is in this country. When I called a debate about Asbestos in Parliament I was overwhelmed by support from MPs from all political parties and support groups. It’s sad, then, that there is not more help from the Government for highly important cases like Spodden Valley. That’s why I’m now seeking a meeting with ministers and the Save Spodden Valley group to try to get some answers to these concerns.

It is likely that the truth about the samples and the new scientific evidence would not have been unearthed if it hadn’t been for dedicated members of the public like the Save Spodden Valley campaign group. They have worked tirelessly to get the right result for the people of Rochdale.

Ultimately, however, it will be the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, who makes the final decision over Spodden Valley. I hope he makes the right choice, because it won’t be Government Ministers or multi-millionaire property developers who will pay the price. But it will be the 650 ordinary families who move in to the new houses and the families who live in Spotland and Shawclough who currently surround the site.

Paul Rowen MP