The developer said ‘a comprehensive site investigation was undertaken by specialists’, which identified contamination levels on the site are low, and within safe limits
James Catterall, 72, Irene Catterall, 72, husband and wife(Image: Liverpool Echo)
People living in one part of Merseyside are becoming increasingly concerned about the redevelopment of contaminated land for a new housing project. Irene Catterall told the Liverpool ECHO: “I’ve got four grandchildren around here and it is very worrying with possible asbestos floating about. It’s no surprise this area has got the highest rates of lung cancer in the country. It’s absolutely disgusting.”
Proposals for 800 new homes in Kirkby were progressed by Knowsley Council’s planning committee in February 2025, despite hundreds of objections from concerned local residents who fear the health implications of developing on contaminated land. The site is near Cherryfield Drive and Whinberry Drive in Kirkby, where initial soil analysis identified the presence of asbestos.
The brownfield land has been earmarked for development for many years, some of which formed part of Everton FC’s failed bid to relocate to Kirkby. The latest proposals have caused widespread concern and the ECHO has been contacted by dozens of people worried about the contaminants in the land.
One person we spoke to in September 2024, is lifelong Kirkby-resident, Helen, who lives next to the development site. 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.”
A resident looks out from a property on Whinberry Drive in Kirkby 2024, with proposed development site on other side of fence(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The project is to be developed by David Wilson Homes (DWH) which maintains the levels of asbestos are ‘not uncommon’ on previously developed sites and offered assurances an asbestos risk assessment would be completed before any construction works started. In September 2024, DWH told the ECHO it will ensure there is no risk to residents or the licensed asbestos contractors carrying out the work.
A DWH spokesperson added: “This will include putting in place exclusion zones around any suspected asbestos and using dust suppression techniques to prevent anything from becoming airborne.”
However concerns resurfaced earlier this month when we were contacted by several Cherryfield Drive residents, who reported sightings of workers and diggers creating large holes and appearing to excavate parts of the development land. Additionally, photographs seen by the ECHO, appear to show some contractors wearing PPE and others not wearing PPE.
Local resident Shaun Lever told the ECHO: “Workers are operating just metres from our homes with no visible protection, despite the site’s known history of asbestos and other persistent chemical contaminants.
“This is particularly alarming because previous contractors on the same development did wear full PPE. The sudden change in safety practices has left residents confused and deeply concerned. When we sought clarification, we were told that PPE was “not required” and that, despite living only around two metres from active excavation, we did not need to close our windows or take any precautions.
“Families with young children continue to use their gardens daily, unaware of any potential risk. No clear communication, risk assessment, or reassurance has been provided to residents, and there appears to be no independent monitoring visible on site. The failure of authorities to intervene have left us feeling unprotected, ignored, and increasingly distressed.”
Contractors carrying out work on the development site near to Cherryfield Drive(Image: Handout)
These fears were certainly apparent when we visited the area earlier this week (January 28) and spoke to Joanne Meacock, 50, who described the impact of the works on her family.
She said: “My son is worried about what’s going on. He’s only 14 and he’s in school, and he’s constantly out in the back, which backs onto the landfill out there just over our garden fence.
“He was out on the trampoline yesterday in the garden, and there’s people digging holes that I was unaware of. It was only when someone else brought it to my attention that they had dug right behind my house.
“Some of them had small masks on and then there was a couple that didn’t have any masks on at all, all kitted up with suits on, and then there’s my son just on the other side of the fence, on the trampoline, totally unaware of the hazardous materials and whether they’re being disturbed.
“He’s had a couple of sleepless nights this week about it, because they’ve dug a hole behind our back fence, with not one word of warning or prior notice.”
We met several other residents who said they are not seeking to cause unnecessary alarm, but do want ‘transparency, accountability, and assurance’ that the health and wellbeing of local families is being taken seriously. To compound matters, they said there is still no absolute measurement or detail of the risks they face, and a ‘visible absence of safety measures’.
Married couple James and Irene Catterall, both 72, have lived in this part of Kirkby for the last 20 years. Although they came to learn about the history of the development land as an old tip and dumping site, they believed it couldn’t be worked on.
James said: “In the early 1960s a lot of the factories on Kirkby industrial estate used asbestos lagging. So when those factories came down, most of the vehicles dumped all the stuff over there.
Contractors carrying out work on the development site near to Cherryfield Drive(Image: Handout)
“It came to light during the 2009 public inquiry, when Everton wanted to build over there, that they found asbestos, so they couldn’t build on that part of the land. You ask yourself, if the site is not good enough for Everton, why is it good enough for us?”
Irene added: “It can be very depressing, really, because the council don’t seem to want to know. I personally have emailed all the councillors and Knowsley about it and our concerns, and most of them don’t even get back to you, or they’ll just pass it on.
“I’ve been onto the environmental health, and all they say is nothing can be done until there’s a mitigation plan, but we’ve not been told the level of risk.
“Then there’s the issue about infrastructure and building communities, because there’s going to be hundreds of new homes, but will we have new roads, new GPs, new green spaces? There’s no plan for that and only about 10% of the new houses will be affordable.”
Regarding the Tudor Place/Cherryfield Drive development, a spokesperson for David Wilson Homes told the ECHO: “Before activity on the site began, a comprehensive site investigation was undertaken by specialists, assessing ground conditions, historical land use, controlled waters, and potential risks to human health and the wider environment.
“Tests identified that contamination levels on the site are low, and within safe limits.
“A remediation strategy and an asbestos management plan were formally approved by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, which is the standard process for the development of brownfield sites.
“Works are being undertaken in strict accordance with the approved plans and are being monitored by the local authority, the Environment Agency, and an independent geoenvironmental consultancy.”
However, the issue of the contaminated land comes up time and again with the people we spoke to, including David Hitchmough who said there seems to be a worrying pattern of disregarding air quality concerns in the area, dating back to when Kirkby first started out as one of the region’s industrial heartlands.
David said: “I think if it was happening somewhere other than Kirkby, the approach would be different, but because it’s Kirkby we always get the short end of the stick.
Dr David Hitchmough(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“It’s not just this site, there are wider Kirkby issues here including the history of the Sonae factory, and the air pollution at the ‘Simmonwood stink’ industrial estate, and the incinerator problems. It’s multiple issues, and covering the whole of Kirkby, really.
“What makes me so passionate and speaking up on Kirkby is that I think the same issues have just persisted, and it makes communities feel very disheartened and not listened to.”
The people we spoke to said their worries can be boiled down to a few simple questions:
1. What is the definite, calculated risk to the public if the land is developed?
2. Why are contractors wearing PPE, but residents are not being advised to do
3. Can the council do more to allay fears and offer reassurance, advocacy and support?
In relation to that process and the ongoing response to local concerns, a spokesperson for Knowsley Council confirmed the planning permission granted for the site specifies that the developer must work to the approved documents, written in line with the relevant guidance.
The spokesperson added: “As many residents will have observed, at times workers have done and will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). This is in line with standard health and safety practice for certain groundwork and is part of the approved site management plans. Residents should expect to see this kind of activity continue over the coming months.
“Site investigations have confirmed differing ground conditions across the site which means that PPE requirements will vary across the site. All operations at the site are carried out in accordance with the necessary guidance and regulation.”
The council said PPE requirements are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and advised residents to raise any concerns they have to the HSE.
The spokesperson continued: “In addition, specialist tests have been undertaken at the site and a risk assessment completed which rates the risks to residents as low, and contractors are working in accordance with the relevant health and safety guidance as they progress with further testing and sampling at the site before any construction takes place.”