18th April 2005

“Fake” Spodden Valley websites exposed…

The Save Spodden Valley campaign may have discovered a sinister move by
developers of the former asbestos factory site in the Spodden Valley, Rochdale:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following Countryside Properties appearance in national satirical magazine
Private Eye, it appears that the building company have scored yet another public
relations ‘home goal’ in their bid to build 600+ houses and a children’s nursery
on the site of the Turners asbestos factory:

The company prides itself on its "ethical, social and environmental policies”
yet is to be reported to internet watchdogs that monitor domain names for
fraudulent or misleading use:

Not content with buying interests in asbestos factory sites, Countryside Properties
have now bought up many internet domain names including combinations of
the words “save” “spodden” and “valley”.

Save Spodden Valley, the long established community campaign’s website is
www.Spodden-Valley.co.uk and its main email address is SaveSpoddenValley@hotmail.com.
The genuine website for the campaign has much information about the history
of the controversial factory site, contaminated land, the destruction of woodland
habitats and the plans to build hundreds of homes on the world’s first, then
largest, asbestos textile factory.

Many are concerned that the bulk purchase of these domain names may be a
cynical move that could be the start of a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign by the building
company.

The misleading web addresses go directly to the front page of Countryside
Properties corporate website.

Local resident Dave Phillips was saddened by this latest move apparently by
Countryside Properties:

“as a father of 5 month old and 5 year old daughters I am very concerned about
what Countryside Properties appear to be doing instead of addressing our
community’s real and legitimate concerns about health”.

“Don’t the directors and managers of Countryside Properties have children?
Is really this the work of an ethical company?”

“It is odd that once on the Countryside Properties website there is no information
about asbestos and the Spodden Valley- what have they got to hide?”

Critics of this latest move are concerned that the “fake” web addresses may be
used to misinform genuine research into asbestos, contamination and recent
events in the Spodden Valley.
www.Spodden-Valley.co.uk has received messages of support from all over the
world. Its web and email addresses have been printed in thousands of leaflets,
posters and letters. The campaign has been reported in the regional and national
media including television news reports, the BBC news website and 2 reports
on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme.

Campaign co-ordinator Jason Addy was philosophical about the “fake”
website addresses:

“Countryside Properties now have 3 public relation firms working for them to
promote the former asbestos factory site”.

“It may be that Countryside Properties’ directors do not know about these
tactics and would be appalled at this tarnishing of their company’s reputation”.

“Countryside Properties employ a web design firm called CD9 Design Ltd.
We will be asking that the domain names be transferred to the Save Spodden
Valley campaign, their rightful recipient. Creating ‘bogus’ weblinks doesn’t look
good for Countryside Properties. We have been told that it is the sort of scam
usually conducted by pornographers, gangsters and con-artists and certainly
not by reputable national building companies. This may be a mistake made by
an over-eager web-designer that could be resolved amicably”.

“Imitation may be the best form of flattery and it indicates a bit of desperation by
their “PR” people. Asbestos is an issue for medical doctors not ‘spin’ doctors”.

“After they have made their apologies, perhaps Countryside Properties could
make a donation to an asbestos-cancer charity or put some money aside to
repair the woodlands destroyed in the Spodden Valley”.

“Countryside Properties have now admitted being involved with the asbestos
factory site for over a year-before the woodlands were destroyed in May 2004-
it is about time Countryside Properties had real information about asbestos
on a real Countryside Properties website”.

”As a community campaign, we have very little funds and we make the most
of what we have to keep our community safe. When faced with a development
that could potentially disturb tens of thousands of tonnes of asbestos waste,
buying up domain names seems very petty when there is so much to do.”

“All we want is to have all the facts about the site out in the open. We are grateful
for the passionate support of communities throughout the world who do not
want to our town’s younger generations to suffer any risk of a continued legacy
of asbestos poisoning”.

“We ask Countryside Properties again to repair the damage-
to the Spodden Valley and its woodlands… and to their own corporate reputation”.

“A first step would be to remove the bogus weblinks that use a long-established
campaign’s name. Save Spodden Valley would be happy to put a link on its
website to Countryside Properties website if they have facts to share with everybody.
Surely a responsible company has nothing to hide?”

 

Councillors shocked to hear Countryside Properties and Encia
“don’t have the time” to speak to former asbestos factory workers.

Calls for a proper consultation process has also been made by Rochdale
Council’s Asbestos Working Party. Its Chairman, Cllr. Tom Stott is a former
Turners asbestos factory employee. Countryside Properties (Northern) Ltd
director Ian Simpson was asked by the Councillor why he and his former
colleagues have not been consulted about asbestos and contamination at
the Spodden Valley site. The public meeting was shocked to hear that
Countryside Properties and their environmental consultants, Encia didn’t
“have the time” to speak to hundreds of former asbestos factory workers.

The planning application for 600+ homes and a children’s nursery has a
estimated value of over £100 million.

Save Spodden Valley has received a copy of a “Site Contamination Map” drawn
up in 2001 by Federal Mogul and its long standing employees. Campaigners
say this proves that the site’s owners and developers must know about the
potential problems throughout the 72 acre site.

The site contamination map was provided as a result of the Freedom of
Information Act. It is understood that lawyers acting for the site owners put
pressure on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the document to remain
secret. However, Anna Bliss, the HSE’s Principal Inspector for construction in
Greater Manchester told a meeting last month that public access to such
information was important.

Jason Addy of Save Spodden Valley is very concerned about the developers’
and consultants’ apparent lack of knowledge about the site:

“This map is one of many documents that must have been part of the due
diligence process.”

“To start with, when you buy a site of a former asbestos factory, surely there is a
clue on the sign at the factory gate… Turner Brothers ASBESTOS”

“The 2001 site contamination drawing suggests there may be serious problems
throughout the site. Many former workers and residents have spoken of the
site’s potential problems at our Public meetings”.

“it looks as though the local community will have to conduct, prepare and publish
our own research- but it saves just one life from asbestos-related cancer then
we will make sure that these facts are known to Countryside Properties.

“given the tactics now displayed by the site developers, we must guarantee that
the identity of those helping with information on contamination remains confidential.
We will not tolerate any form of corporate bullying or intimidation”.

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STATEMENT ENDS.

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