Campaigners against development on open space in Borrowash call for action over ground contaminants

Campaigners opposing development on an area of public open space in Borrowash which is subject to a planning application have been distributing leaflets to local residents referencing that it is 'highly contaminated.'

The Harrington Green Space Campaign Group has recently been hand-delivering three sheets through letterboxes in the area.

Two A4 sheets include a copy of borough council guidance for making a representation on a planning application, whilst another shows clerically amended plans which have recently been made public.  Campaigners have used highlighter pens to mark groupings of properties in the graphic.

Separately, an A3 sheet states that a planning application for the open space near to Harrington Avenue, Ashbrook Avenue, Charnwood Avenue and Briar Close has been submitted, and that it is to be developed as part of a Nottingham Community Housing Association scheme on behalf of Erewash Borough Council.

The A3 document goes on to state that a ground plan shows it is highly contaminated with arsenic, lead, cyanide, mercury and nickel, and expresses fears over 'serious health concerns',

Campaigners are calling for the support of residents by way of submitting an objection to the housing plan to the planning officers at Erewash Borough Council, but before the 6th March 2025.  The leaflets suggests grounds on which residents should complain, specifically, relating to the design of 29 proposed dwellings, vehicle parking and road traffic issues, "serious health consequences" of land contamination, and claiming that there will be noise and disturbance resulting from use.  It also signposts the reader to the full planning application details on the borough council website.

At the time of the posting of this story, the application status was 'pending consideration' by borough council planners.

The planning documents on the borough council website which relate to the proposed development include those relating to biodiversity, topography, ecology, drainage and, more specifically, a ground condition report/survey.

The May 2024 report, detailed as being 'Final' and on behalf of 'Norse Homes Ltd'  features appendices giving the results of chemical analysis.

The report details bore hole testing which had been carried out which showed 'Variable comprising brown, grey and black, clayey, gravelly sand, gravelly clay, and sandy gravel. Gravels of fine to coarse, angular to rounded quartzite, pottery, glass, ash, glass, clinker, coal, and brick.'

It continues to state that there was "No visual or olfactory evidence of contamination" but goes on to state that of five soil samples taken, two recorded a total cyanide concentration exceeding the general assessment criteria (GAC), and that four of the five samples also contained "significant concentrations above the GAC", and that the same samples recorded significant concentrations of lead, three contained 'recorded concentrations' of nickel above the GAC, and one recorded a level of mercury above the detection limit of analysing equipment and the GAC.

It goes on to reference concentrations of dibenzo(ah)anthracene which marginally exceeded the GAC and one sample which recorded marginally elevated concentrations of benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene above the GAC and concludes that no further samples found asbestos or ACMs, and that concentrations of speciated Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), speciated Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) were all below the relevant GACs and / or below the detection limits of the analysing equipment.

The report also stated that, based on the above exceedances, 'associated remedial action' would be required.