New tests ordered at Lafarge Bedlington Station plant
Sep 18 2010 by Dave Black, Evening Chronicle
TESTS are to be carried out at homes close to a large cement factory after complaints from local families that they are being plagued by excessive dust and noise.
Equipment will be installed at two properties near the Lafarge plant in Bedlington Station, Northumberland, so that the alleged nuisance and disturbance can be monitored by council watchdogs.
The action follows the submission of a 14-name petition to the county council from people living in nearby Belsay Grove, who say emissions are invading their environment and could be harmful to health.
They have pinned the blame on the Lafarge factory, but the council monitoring exercise will also examine whether problems are being caused by the adjacent Cemex concrete plant or other industrial and commercial uses in the area.
Visits to the two concrete plants by public protection officers in July revealed no major problems and no breaches of operating permits.
However, the council’s south east area committee has now been told there will be further monitoring to assess the extent of any problems and exactly where they are coming from.
Yesterday Ellie Allan, who lives in Belsay Grove with her husband Scott and children Lily, three, and Carl, five, said residents had been concerned for some time.
“There is noise from about 6am most days and at weekends, and a yellowy powdery dust which gets everywhere. We clean our cars and the next day they are covered in dust again.
“We have not had any health issues but you can hear a permanent racket from the place when you are in the garden. Also, trees which provided a bit of a barrier were taken down some time ago.’’
Smelter worker Vince Henderson, who lives on the estate with his wife Susan and daughter Grace, six, is one of the two residents whose homes will have monitoring equipment installed.
He said: “They start the belts from 7.30am and there is a high-pitched noise, there are wagons reversing and banging and clattering at weekends. It has been a major bone of contention since Lafarge put these big silos up. Dust is starting to blister the paintwork on cars and we’re sure that’s acidic from cement.
“When the wind gets up it is a problem and we are constantly cleaning our cars and windows. The mess can be horrendous. Lafarge is right on our doorsteps and we are convinced it’s coming from there, although they say it’s not.”
Area committee chairman, Ian Swithenbank, said: “These complaints are being taken seriously. We want to identify how bad the problem is and where it is coming from.
“Locals assume it is the Lafarge factory, but it might not be, so we are trying to get to the bottom of it. The two cement factories are keen to work with us and the residents.”
