What damage has ALREADY been done?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos of the damage to the Spodden Valley on May 15th 2004

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2003
This is a view of Woodlands Rd facing north. Healey Dell Nature reserve adjoins this land.
The broadleaf trees almostformed a 'tunnel' of woodland cover abvove the road. At evening
times, bats were a common sight catching small flying insects. Most of the trees in this
picture are 1-40 yrs old. Older oak trees can be seen on the right of this picture in the
mid-ground. Their holes and crevices were used by nesting birds and habitat for
other species.

2004
Taken form the same location: These trees were clear-felled during nesting season.
The bats were no longer seen from this part of the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woodlands Rd facing south: Some of the mature oak trees mentioned above are on the left of
the picture in the mid-ground.

An RSPB volunteer (membership No.16904277) conducted volunteer surveys of the Woodland Rd
area for the Society for several seasons. Prior to the destruction in May 2004 the following species
were spotted: Tawny Owls, Sparrow Hawks (nested 2001), Kestrels, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers,
Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Tree Creepers, Warblers, Fieldfares, Redwings, Bramblings,
Wrens, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Longtailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Wood Pigeons,
Bullfinches.

Countryside Properties now wants to build houses on the site. Their Environmental Impact
Assessments suggests that 'no protected birds' were seen on site. The Phase I Habitat Survey
was carried out (AFTER the clear-felling?!): it concludes that no roosting bats were recorded on site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry stone wall next to some of the mature oak trees: before and after.

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Clear felled during the nesting season.

Hundreds of trees were destroyed on one Saturday. Old oak trees with
Woodpecker holes and crevices were removed. Many trees were uprooted
so that no trace remains. A Forestry Commission Officer was shocked to
see how much wood chipping had been done.

Countryside Properties now wants to build over 40 houses on this area.

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EXPOSED ASBESTOS WASTE IN THE SPODDEN VALLEY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asbestos waste exposed in overturned tree roots, Woodlands Rd in the Spodden Valley.
10 metres from a public path/bridle way/cycle path and about 100 metres from the 2 acre
woodland site destroyed in May 2004 that Countryside Properties wish to build houses on.

This exposed waste was reported to Rochdale Council’s Contaminated Land Officer in
May 2004. Apparently, no action was taken to visit the site or declare the area officially
“Contaminated Land” under Part II. A of the Contaminated Land Regulations. Concerned
residents resorted to having the waste tested themselves at an independent laboratory.
It was confirmed as Amosite (brown asbestos).

The Contaminated Land officer resigned in Late 2004. What could be one of the most
controversial contaminated site planning applications may be considered without a
Contaminated Land Officer in post.

A planning application was made in
December 2004. As of January 2005,
this site containing exposed asbestos
is still not officially classed as
Contaminated Land.

Brownfield development is a key
National Government policy. Local
Authorities must be allocated the
resources to ensure that safe
decisions can be made.

Cllr. Paul Rowen (centre) the Leader of Rochdale
Council points to asbestos on land not legally
classified as contaminated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The legislation’s jargon talks of “sources” “pathways” and “receptors”.

Exposed asbestos on the site is a “source”.

The air we breathe is a “pathway”.

Our community’s children may be “receptors”

MESOTHELIOMA AND LUNG CANCER CAN TAKE UP TO 50 YEARS TO DEVELOP AFTER
EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS DUST. THERE IS NO KNOWN SAFE MINIMUM EXPOSURE
LEVEL TO ASBESTOS. STUDIES INDICATE THAT CHILDREN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO
LOW LEVEL EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS.

PLEASE CAN ALL THE FACTS ABOUT THIS SITE BE INVESTIGATED SO THAT SAFE,
ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS CAN BE MADE

 

COMMUNITY ANGER:
Why won’t the developers listen to our concerns?

This photograph shows some of the protesters
that went to the site soon after the woodland
was clear-felled.

This is an area where Countryside Properties
want to build houses on.

These are local people who have lived near or
worked at the asbestos factory. As children some
played by the Hessian bales of asbestos at the
nearby railhead and played on the open tips
around Harridge Mill. Local people who never
worked at the asbestos factory have died from
asbestos related cancer.

Most people in this photograph had relatives who worked at the asbestos mill and
later suffered with asbestos related illness.

A former TBA Health and Safety Officer was present. He said that the area where
the trees had been felled contained a mine shaft that TBA used to dispose of industrial
waste. The mine was flooded and TBA once had a policy of monitoring ground water for
asbestos fibre content. He described the felling of trees as "sheer madness" and that
nobody during T&N days would have ever imagined that somebody would start uprooting
trees around the site.

 

CRIMINAL PENALTIES UNDER THE FORESTRY ACT 1967 (as amended).

In the mid ground of this photograph is
a felled mature beech tree on Spod Rd.
Many mature trees were felled on this
embankment on May 15th 2004 together
with about 2 acres on Woodlands Rd.

Felling more than 5 cubic metres of growing
trees without a Felling Licence can be a
criminal offence (s17 Forestry Act 1967).
Felling just one mature tree may exceed
this threshold.

A Felling Licence had NOT been applied for by Treelink Ltd, or the site’s owners. Licences
cannot be backdated.

It is not known whether Countryside Properties PLC had any involvement in this clear-felling
work done on the weekend of 15th/16th May 2004. It is understood that a consultant reporting
to Countryside Properties PLC did meet with a Forestry Commission Officer on the site in
June 2004.

Save Spodden Valley campaigners kept in contact with the Forestry Commission throughout
the summer of 2004- photographs were submitted to help show the extent of the damage. The
Forestry Commission did not allow its Officers to return to the site to conduct a survey of the
remaining tree stumps. Health and safety concerns were cited. In late November 2004, we were
informed that the Forestry Commission would not be pursuing a prosecution. One reason given
was “lack of evidence” – but hundreds of trees were felled? One mature tree could (such as in
the photograph above) exceed the threshold for a prosecution.

Another reason given by the Forestry Commission was that through consultation with Rochdale
Council, it was understood the felled woodland site was to be built on, so a prosecution and
subsequent Restocking Order would be “futile”. This was several weeks before a Planning
Application was submitted.

In December 2004, Countryside Properties (Northern) Ltd jointly applied for planning permission
to build houses and a neighborhood centre where the woodlands once stood.

Countryside PLC’s Environmental Statement 2003 includes the following sentence:

“Countryside Properties have never been prosecuted for environmental malpractice”.