A “Super-Casino” for Rochdale is quite a gamble

Roulette table

Rochdale’s former asbestos factory site has been designated a planning “Area of Opportunity” in the town’s blueprint Unitary Development Plan. This allows the possibility for leisure facilities and an “Urban Village” where the world’s asbestos industry was born.

The 72 acre site has now been under the control of MMC Developments for 6 months. Within days of taking the site in May, hundreds of trees were destroyed. Since then there has been no formal statement from the property developer. However, there are rumours of a planning application “within the next few weeks”.

The current debate on super-casinos has highlighted some of the ways the planning process can be abused. Speaking on Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, Tom Foster described how under present system, planning permission for “D2 Class” developments such as leisure centres may be switched other uses, including casinos, without the need for further consultation. 

Speaking in Parliament, Minister Tessa Jowell reassured MPs that before any Super-Casinos are built, local authorities would have an express duty to consult local people.

Sue Wilson from Save Spodden Valley reflects on the issues raised:
“If prior public consultation will be allowed for casinos then surely the same rights must be given to the thousands of people who live in the shadow of a 72 acre asbestos factory site?”

It has been discovered that local people who have never worked at the asbestos factory have died of an asbestos related cancer called Mesothelioma. One such lady had lived in a cottage that once stood next to Harridge Mill. This asbestos Mill and adjoining cottages were demolished in the late 1960’s. Trees were then planted on the site. In May of this year, hundreds of these trees were felled and the roots ripped up by Treelink Ltd under the orders of MMC Developments Ltd.   

The odds for the health of local people has been stacked against them for decades:

• Documents from 1957 show that 300 tonnes of asbestos dust were dumped on the site every year. The Rochdale factory processed asbestos for over 100 years. The full extent of contamination is not known.
• Turner Brothers Asbestos workers in Rochdale had a much higher than average chance of dying from lung cancer according to studies conducted as early as 1955. 

These findings were confirmed by further medical papers published in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Ken Smith, Rochdale Council’s Head of Planning wrote to Save Spodden Valley. The letter confirmed that T&N Ltd, the former owners of the asbestos factory, conducted site surveys in the mid 1990’s, 2001 and 2003. These surveys identified some of the areas of the Spodden Valley contaminated with asbestos, oils and other harmful contaminants such as phenol. Rochdale Council still have copies of these reports but cannot publish them as they are marked “private and confidential”.

Spodden Valley campaigners are asking for these important documents to be made public:

“Many local people who have lived by, or worked at, the asbestos factory could know where further asbestos dumps may be. The site surveys must be scrutinised. It is vital that all information is made public so that safe decisions can be made. 

What have the developers got to lose by publishing the site contamination surveys?

Based on the recent actions of the site’s new owners and developers we have real and legitimate fears. We fear that more damage could be on the cards”.

Super casino or not, Save Spodden Valley have a simple message for the property developers:

“Please don’t gamble with local lives. One further cancer death caused by asbestos from that site is one too many. We cannot afford to take a chance with an irresponsible development. The health stakes are just too high.”