A ROW has broken out over a housing development in Webheath following concerns the land may be contaminated.
The project to build 200 new homes on Pumphouse Lane was given the thumbs up by Redditch Borough Council’s Planning Committee on December 9 last year, but Webheath Action Group is calling for the decision to be reversed after, its claims, a report showed nickel, lead and benzo(a)pyrene was found on the grounds.
Developers Taylor Wimpey plan to layer the site with 30cm of top soil but the chair of the campaign group, David Rose, said this was not enough to protect potential home owners from the risk.
“This land was used to dump waste on in the 1930s and 40s as it was easier to dump in the ponds. It will only take a resident to dig a hole for shrubbery or child to dig through soil for those chemicals to come to the surface.
“And are they going to be told this before they buy?
“This has been our worry from the start and for them to say the land is clear and safe is just not the truth.”
The council has said the risk assessment did not produce anything which would cause an immediate risk to the public and it was still in the process of laying out the necessary condition to the developers.
Head of Planning and Regeneration Ruth Bamford said: “A condition of the planning permission, which was originally allowed on appeal by the Planning Inspector, is that the developer will take any actions arising from a phase two risk assessment following on from an earlier initial risk assessment.
“The council, with its specialist environmental consultee Worcestershire Regulatory Services, is currently reviewing that phase two risk assessment.
“The planning condition will only be discharged when we are satisfied with it and any proposed actions.”
A Taylor Wimpey spokesman said: “As part of our recent planning application we submitted a detailed assessment of ground conditions at our proposed development site and this has identified low levels of some soil contaminants, which are confined to an in-filled former pond area.
“The land affected by contamination is located within an area of proposed public open space and does not affect any of the planned new homes or gardens at the development.
“In line with specialist recommendations, we are proposing to cap the affected ground with a 300mm soil layer and we are anticipating this approach will be acceptable to Redditch Borough Council’s Environmental Health officer.”
