Villagers fear for ash health risk
SELBY: Villagers in Yorkshire have expressed grave concerns over plans which could see hundreds of heavy goods vehicles a day carrying ash near a primary school and homes.
People living in Whitley, near Selby, claimed developers have not taken on board their health fears and are hoping for a major turnout at a meeting tomorrow.
VILLAGERS IN Yorkshire have expressed grave concerns over plans which could see hundreds of heavy goods vehicles a day carrying ash near a primary school and homes.
People living in Whitley, near Selby, claimed developers have not taken on board their health fears and are hoping for a major turnout at a meeting tomorrow.
EP UK Investments has submitted plans to North Yorkshire County Council to extract up to a million tonnes a year of fly ash from the closed coal-fired Eggborough and Ferrybridge C power stations, which is stored at Gale Common.
It has permission to extract up to 30,000 tonnes a year of the ash, which can be used in breeze blocks, cement and road construction. But the new plan, due before councillors next month, will mean as many as 260 lorry movements a day along Cobcroft Lane and Whitefield Lane and then north on the A19 to the M62.
Mother-of-two Elizabeth Kundu is concerned about the impact on the health of her daughter, Asha Lily, aged six, who attends Whitley and Eggborough School.
She said: “It’s going to be one HGV every three minutes and they are planning to do it for 25 years. It is my daughter and her children who will be breathing in the fumes.
“Highways England said it could go out on another route to the A1, which would not impact on the village. But the developers have said they won’t. We think it is all about cost.
“I think most people now are waking up to the severity of climate change and looking round the world to the poor people who are suffering.”
Parish councillor Tim Woodhead, who has organised the public forum at 6.30pm, said an alternative route could add an extra six miles depending on which way they were heading.
But he added: “It’s a two-mile trip to get them on the M62 and my impression is they don’t want to think outside their comfort zone.”
James Crankshaw, the firm’s head of engineering, said an “extensive assessment” of traffic had been undertaken and the county council’s highways officers had not expressed any concerns.
He added: “We are aware that some local residents are concerned about the HGV traffic near their homes and school, so we are proposing a number of management and mitigation measures to address comments made by the local community, in order to further reduce the limited effects that are anticipated.”
Proposed measures include building a bypass to move vehicles away from Whitefield Road, stopping lorry journeys at school drop-off and pick-up times and a new crossing on the A19.
Mr Crankshaw added the development will create up to 47 full-time jobs and about 60 haulage roles as well as adding £4m each year to the economy.
It’s going to be one HGV every three minutes and they plan to do it for 25 years Mother-of-two Elizabeth Kundu.