Report finds 'no public health risks' at Whittlesey industrial site
A new report has found that there is “no threat to public health” emanating from the former Saxon Brickworks pit in Whittlesey.
Residents have long called for action over an strong odour that has been hanging over the town, believed to be coming from the site as well as raising a number of concerns about the impact the site was having on the health of people in the area.
A new report, published by Cambridgeshire County Council, assessing if there are any health concerns in relation to operations on the industrial site made three key findings.
These were that there are no identified public health risks from water from King’s Dyke being used for livestock, emissions from land (gas) from the site and air quality in the location of Hallcroft Road (where monitoring data indicates air quality is good).
The report did, however, note that further evidence would be beneficial to assess: air quality at the Saxon Pit boundary, if there are ongoing noise or odour issues and any cumulative health impacts, including on mental health.
The County Council’s Public Health service instigated the risk assessment in response to public concerns about the site, off Peterborough Road.
Three businesses operate on or near the site: Johnsons Aggregate Recycling, dealing with the treatment of incinerator bottom ash; Forterra, manufacturing house bricks; and East Midlands Waste Management, importing waste to stabilise the pit face and with permission to recycle metal.
All emissions from the businesses are regulated through Environment Agency permits, and the report states that the site as a whole is operating at an expected level of permit compliance.
Recommendations of the report
- Regulators hold quarterly meetings with residents to provide updates and increase trust and collaboration between the community, operators, and regulators.
- Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council to work with residents on a cumulative community health impact assessment.
- The Environment Agency (with support from Fenland District Council) to increase monitoring to ensure risks to human health from emissions to water remain low.
- Multi-agency partners to work together to develop an air quality monitoring strategy to understand air pollution risk and the Environment Agency to ensure regular review of dust emission management plans.
- Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council to explore opportunities to strengthen policies and practices around waste and human health.
Sally Cartwright, Director of Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council, said:
“We are pleased to have carried out this work with our partners, which brings together all the available relevant data on the potential health impacts of these operations in the community.
“The assessment shows that the regulatory arrangements for the site with multiple activities is complex, and that understanding the combined effects on health can be challenging.
“The cumulative impacts on health and wellbeing need to be better understood and assessed, and we’re proposing further work to address that.
“We’re also keen to gather further evidence and data and a plan is in place to do that. We recognise that recommending further analysis, particularly around air quality, may cause concern. Our intention is the opposite. We want to strengthen the evidence base to provide further reassurance. Positively, the most verified data we have on air quality in Whittlesey from Hallcroft Road shows it to be in compliance with national air quality objectives. It’s important to note that overall air quality is not just impacted by industrial activity, it is also affected by other local sources including transport and domestic open fires and solid fuel stoves.
“We’d like to involve the community as we move forward, with plans to hold quarterly regulator meetings with residents and to establish a new larger group, including community representatives, to oversee the delivery and implementation of the recommendations arising from this assessment.”
A future information event will be held for the wider community but the date for this is yet to be confirmed. Regular meetings will also be offered on an ongoing basis in line with the recommendations in the report.
Anyone with questions can visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/saxon-pit to see a list of answers to questions already raised. Further questions can be emailed to: [email protected].
To read the full report, visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/saxon-pit.