14th March 2005

ROCHDALE’S ASBESTOS “X-files”

Microfiche files in the offices of a university building in Manchester contain documents
that may give graphic details about the asbestos dangers lurking in the soil of the
former Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) site in Rochdale.

Rochdale is the birthplace of the world’s modern asbestos textile industry. Until 1948,
Rochdale housed the headquarters of the vast Turner and Newall (T&N) empire- for
decades the market leader in asbestos products.

Countless people have died of terrible asbestos diseases form making or using
Rochdale’s products. Experts have concluded that hundreds of thousands of people
have died as a result of decisions made at the Rochdale Headquarters of T&N.

Asbestos production finally ended at Rochdale in 1996.In 1998 the American automotive
products giant Federal Mogul bought T&N.

Federal Mogul sold the Rochdale site to Heywood based property company MMC
Developments Ltd and Channel Islands-based Rathbone Jersey Ltd in March 2004.

Recent land Registry searches have confirmed that national house building company
Countryside Properties entered into an option agreement for the site in April 2004.
Less than a month later, on the weekend of 15th/16th May 2004, dozens of forestry
workers, employed by local contractor Treelink Ltd, destroyed woodlands around the
controversial asbestos factory site.

Steve Marsden from Treelink Ltd told local people on the day of the woodlands’
destruction that a ‘national house building company’ had plans for an ‘urban village’
on the former asbestos factory site. The name of the national company was not given.

In December 2004, Countryside Properties, together with MMC Developments Ltd and
Rathbone Jersey Ltd submitted plans for around 650 homes and other facilities,
including a children’s nursery on the troubled site.

Countryside Properties have repeatedly asserted that their company had no involvement
in the destruction of wildlife habitats in the Spodden Valley but local doubts persist.

A recent plea by local children for the replanting of the damaged valley has met with no
response from Countryside Properties.

Local people have been particularly angered by the Developers’ assertions that there
was little or no asbestos contamination on the site. A published Environmental
Statement that accompanied the Planning Application concluded-
“of particular note is the absence of any asbestos contamination”

The past few months has seen a concerted media campaign by local people to
demonstrate that large piles of exposed asbestos have been hanging from the roots
of upturned trees in the Spodden Valley less than 100 metres from where Countryside
Properties have applied to build family homes.

Following the broadcast of the news on Radio 4’s You and Yours Programme, an
asbestos decontamination unit was spotted at the reported site of the exposed asbestos.
It has now been acknowledged that asbestos decontamination work is being undertaken.
The work has been going on for the past 5 weeks.

Local campaigning group Save Spodden Valley have visited the Manchester archive for
information so that safe decisions can be made about the development of the
Rochdale site.

The T&N archive, dubbed ‘Rochdale’s Asbestos X-files’, contains tens of thousands
of documents.

The documents have formed the basis of a book about asbestos and the history of
T&N:Magic Mineral to Killer Dust- Turner & Newall and the Asbestos Hazard by
Geoffrey Tweedale- a descendent of one of the original ‘Rochdale Pioneers’ the founders
of the Co-Op movement at Toad Lane, Rochdale in 1844.
(a book review has been written by Dr Barry Castleman, environmental consultant from
Maryland USA. and can be viewed at: http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk/literature.htm )

The Save Spodden Valley campaign is concerned that asbestos fibres could be released
if the site is disturbed in an irresponsible manner. They cite 3 potential sources of
asbestos fibre release:
1. From disturbing asbestos dumps;
2. From disturbing soil that may contain asbestos fallout and;
3. From the demolition of the factory building that processed asbestos for decades.

The T&N archives have produced some startling documents:

A T&N document from 1957 describes how 15,000 lbs of asbestos dust was dumped
to waste each week.
(see: http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk/1957_confidential_document.HTM )

Given that the site processed asbestos for over 100 years- the immediate question
campaigners want the answer to is where is this waste? Asbestos is a mineral that
does not readily degrade- exposed fibres from waste processed 50 years ago can be
an immediate health threat.

The same 1957 document goes on to reveal a chilling fact: tests for airborne asbestos
dust discovered significantly higher readings on the roof of the factory than inside the
production area. This confirms older local residents’ accounts of ‘a haze of dust’ lingering
over the factory on many days until the 1960’s and that the fine fibres accumulated on the
trees surrounding the asbestos factory. At recent Save Spodden Valley meeting, local
people have described how fine dust settled on the blackberry bushes of the valley.

The extent of the dust generated can be read in an account of a visit by TBA’s insurers-
Commercial Union. The letter in the archive from 1932 headed “Asbestosis risk”
describes how asbestos sacks entered the railway sidings at Harridge and also travel
along an aerial ropeway of open buckets. The insurance company warns how the workers
“appear to exist in a cloud of dust and should be provided with complete overalls
and respirators”.

The area described in this letter is beside where woodland was destroyed in May 2004
and Countryside properties wish to build family homes with gardens.
(view the “before and after” section, http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk/beforeandafter.htm )

Save Spodden Valley volunteers wish to go through as many of the documents as
possible but they fear that time is against them.

Recent Freedom of Information searches have also brought more recent information to
light. The campaign’s volunteers may only have a few months to collate these documents
before a decision to build homes on the site is made.

Group co-ordinator Jason Addy describes the task as “real David and Goliath stuff”.
He concludes: “Local people are challenging a £100 million development. Many
documents have been shredded but others remain to be unearthed. Many powerful
interests may not want all the facts about this site ever to get out. We must get to the
truth so that safe decisions can be made”.

Over 1000 individually posted letters of objection have already been posted to Rochdale
Planning Department. The Spodden Valley planning application has already been heard
at Westminster. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has been lobbied to ‘call-in’ the
application and appoint a Planning Inspector.

National and International experts have pledged support to the local campaign group.
Save Spodden Valley have asked Countryside Properties for soil samples for analysis.

Their request has been refused.

Jason Addy asks: “Why refuse soil samples? If there are no asbestos fibres in the soil
then everybody wins. What has anybody got to lose by independent scrutiny of the soil?”

HUGE MEETING HELD ON MARCH 16th:

Dr Geoffrey Tweedale, author of Magic Mineral- Killer Dust, addressed a meeting at the
Great Hall of Rochdale Town Hall on Wednesday 16th March at 7pm.

About 300 people packed the beautiful council chamber for the meeting organised by
Hilda Palmer of the Greater Manchester Hazards Centre.

The main theme of the meeting was be Asbestos in Rochdale-past, present and future.

Tony Whitston from the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victim Support Group spoke on
how asbestos is affecting workers and their families in Rochdale and throughout Britain
and the world today. Deaths from asbestos have not reached their peak. Emphasis was
also placed on the fact that the Spodden Valley site is no longer owned by T&N so the
outcome of the planning application will have no effect on T&N asbestos disease
compensation or T&N Pensions.

The meeting was opened up to the audience who passionately voiced their opinions
about asbestos and the Rochdale site- past, present and future.

 

CHILDREN’S PROTEST WELCOMES VISITORS TO THE TOWN HALL
Local schoolchildren concerned about the recent destruction of wildlife habitats and
the potential for disturbing asbestos fibres have taken the time and trouble to make
posters and wear costumes: The Town Hall was filled with little protesters dresses
as trees, bees and wild mammals- to demonstrate about the destruction of woodlands
and wildlife habitats in the Spodden Valley in May 2004.

In December 2004, Countryside Properties, MMC Developments Ltd and Rathbone
Jersey Ltd applied to build homes and premises on the sites of the destroyed woodlands.

When welcoming visitors to the meeting, the children called on Countryside Properties
not to build where wildlife habitats were destroyed and to repair the damage to the
Spodden Valley.

In repeating their pleas to Countryside Properties,11 year-old Laura Livsey and 10 year-old
Barny Lawrence recited poems they had written about the destruction of wildlife habitats
and their fears about disturbing asbestos dust.
(read 10 year-old Barny Lawrence's poem here )

At the meeting Jason Addy concluded
The crass and insensitive actions of the developers by destroying woodlands around the
asbestos factory site have opened a Pandora’s Box.

The whole town is watching to ensure the damage is repaired and that asbestos fibres
are not disturbed.

Much trust has been destroyed. Countryside properties have an opportunity to start to
rebuild the incredible damage that has been done.

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STATEMENT ENDS.