Residents’ fears over chemical warehouse
CONCERNED residents are demanding reassurances over the safety of a warehouse being used by a carcare products giant to store chemicals.
Tetrosyl has declared the levels currently being stored at the facility, in Castleton, do not require permission from the authorities.
It is still awaiting consent for plans to store up to 10,000 tons of hazardous substances at the building, despite applying in April last year.
The application has been made through Rochdale council’s planning department, but appears to have stalled due to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) waiting on further information from the company.
But residents have asked for reassurances over the site.
A letter from Tetrosyl director David Rogers, read out at a Castleton Area Forum meeting, confirmed the amount of chemicals currently being stored at the Royle Barn Road site fell below the threshold where hazardous substance consent is required.
But now villagers and councillors have resolved to write to Rochdale’s council’s chief executive, Steve Rumbelow, requesting he contacts the HSE to request a safety inspection at the warehouse.
Tom Brogan has been writing to both the council and the HSE on behalf of Castleton residents since last year.
He told the meeting: “The planning application was to store 9,600 tons of chemicals on that site, some of which were hazardous therefore needing health and safety approval.
“We are still in the situation whereby the HSE say they’ve not got the information they asked for to either approve or reject it.
“That’s very concerning, because for a year and nine months they’ve been operating below the threshold, they say.
“But the application is to store above the threshold.
“And the HSE is saying they’ve not got the information they need, so can’t give planning a view. It’s so frustrating.” iOne resident – who declined to be named – echoed Mr Brogan’s frustration: “The council must have rights under the Environmental Protection Act, I think the planning department is just trying to offload,” she said.
But Mr Brogan said the ball was currently in the HSE’s court.
He said: “The only people that can are the HSE, and in response to my letters they have said they’re not going to go in, they’re going to wait and see what comes to them.
“I would like Rochdale council to ask the HSE to go in and satisfy themselves technically as to what is in there.
“It’s been going on for 21 months now and we don’t know what’s going on.”
Coun Billy Sheerin told the meeting he was also frustrated by the lack of clarity, saying residents had been left ‘in a fog.’
He also asked for the letter to the chief executive to stress Castleton’s ‘history of industrial fires.’
“This is why we, as residents, are concerned,” he added.
Rochdale council bosses say the HSE has requested a further safety report from Tetrosyl, and the authority will not be able to decide on the application until receiving further guidance from the body.
A spokesman said: “While the council is the enforcing authority, we rely on the knowledge and expertise of the HSE to advise on the regulations.”
They added: “Tetrosyl has indicated that they intend to submit the revised safety report for assessment by HSE in the new year, and if this is found to be acceptable, HSE will draw up a programme of follow-up inspections to ensure that the site operates in line with the information set out in the report.”
Tetrosyl did not respond to a request for comment.