Council confirmed an asbestos risk assessment must be done before any works start on the main development
Local residents on the brownfield land to the south of Cherryfield Drive in Kirkby(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Residents are demanding to know how much danger they’re in after plans were approved for an 800 home housing development on partially contaminated land. The site is just near Cherryfield Drive and Whinberry Drive in Kirkby where initial soil analysis identified the presence of asbestos.
Knowsley Council granted planning permission on the site which will be developed by Barratt & David Wilson Homes (BDWH). This was despite vociferous opposition from hundreds of residents who fear the health implications of developing the land.
The local authority and BDWH maintain the levels of asbestos are ‘not uncommon’ on previously developed sites and offered assurances an asbestos risk assessment will be completed before any construction works start and closely monitored by Environmental Health and Planning Enforcement.
However, there is significant opposition to the development which has escalated over the last 12 months. The Liverpool ECHO reported some of the personal stories behind the objections including lifelong Kirkby resident, Helen who relies on an oxygen tank to breathe.
Helen lives just next to the site and is increasingly worried about asbestos being disturbed during construction works. She said at the time: “I have severe breathing problems as it is. For me, the potential risk is particularly deadly and I’m not the only person on oxygen on this estate.”
Local residents on the brownfield land to the south of Cherryfield Drive in Kirkby(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The concerns of local residents prompted them to create the Kirkby Resident Group (KRG) who have called for greater transparency around the levels of contaminates in the soil and whether it could present a risk to the local community. The campaign is particularly concerned with the existence of asbestos and what will happen if it is disturbed by construction works.
As a result, campaigners were surprised to see two diggers arriving on site last week, afraid that works were about to start on a site which is yet to have an asbestos risk mitigation plan in place.
Spokesperson for KRG, Shaun Lever said some group members approached the workers and asked them to stop working. The reason they did this, according to Mr Lever, was to inform them there is asbestos on the site and that residents did not want the ground disturbed due to the possible health implications.
Mr Lever added: “The council have offered us all kinds of assurances that they will communicate with us if any works are going to be carried out.
“We want to know what level of risk there is in relation to asbestos. We want to know the danger it presents to local residents and what would be needed to protect us from any potential risks.
Photograph show the proximity of the digger to residents’ homes(Image: Handout)
“If you watch the video of when the diggers turned up, you can see just how close the works are to people’s homes so if any dangerous substance is disturbed, there’s a possibility of it affecting residents.”
A spokesperson for David Wilson Homes said: “Specialist contractors have carried out extensive investigations on the site throughout the planning process and our remediation plan was approved by the Environment Agency and Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service.
“Contractors were back on-site last week to carry out shallow ground investigation works related to foundations in an area that is unaffected by any contamination. There was no risk to local residents, as shown in detailed risk assessments.”
A spokesperson for Knowsley Council said: “We received reports from local residents about activity on site on Wednesday, 21 May. Council Officers from the Environmental Health team contacted David Wilson Homes who clarified the nature of the work was confined to site investigations only, which we are satisfied was carried out in accordance with requirements.
“Planning conditions clearly state that before construction works for the main development begin, David Wilson Homes must submit a robust asbestos risk mitigation plan, and this will be closely monitored by Environmental Health and Planning Enforcement.”