NW BTU H&S Chair Protests To MP Over "Spodden Valley"

Following the story of Spodden Valley and the therat to it from an old Asbestos factory and re-development of the site, Derek Maylor, Chair of the NW BTU Health & Safety Co-ord has wirritne not only to Rochdale council but also Lorna Fitzsimons MP for Rochdale.

This is th text of his argument with regard to objections to the planned re-development:

"....as Chair of the NW BT Engineers Safety (Communication Workers Union) who would be involved in the communications side of such a development,we have raised the following as objections to the planning application.

Records have shown that over 300 tonnes of asbestos dust being dumped within the site. Disturbance to this can lead to the appalling asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma. We would not want the local public, where we have colleagues and their families residing, to be put through and certainly we would not want our engineers working in such conditions. The disturbed asbestos dust could be carried many miles airborne affecting many thousands of people.

Lethal asbestos fibres are invisible to the naked eye and we question the validity of tests which have been undertaken.

The use of 30000 tonnes of the old factory, crushed as foundation stone, is astonishing. This will be permeated with asbestos dust.

We have noted you also share such concerns as we have raised in our dealings with the Save Spodden Valley Group. There is obviously no need to inform you of the above facts as you will already be informed of these and other problems.

We would like you to know of our concerns when you are dealing with this matter.

Derek Maylor MIIRSM TechSP
Safety Co-ordinator

You too can help by checking the Save Spodden Valley Web site: www.spodden-valley.co.uk