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BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Building site in Cleckheaton to be tested after asbestos fears
A council has promised to undertake extra air quality tests at a building site after residents raised concerns about asbestos dust found in their homes. Kirklees Council told residents there would be additional independent testing undertaken at the development off Westgate in Cleckheaton, starting this week, at a public meeting attended by council officials on 6 August. The developer, Strata Homes, said the work was being carried out safely and in line with the council assured residents it would also make more effort to ensure all the conditions to control dust and manage contaminated land were being followed. The site covers around 6.5 hectares and is due to deliver 180 new houses by previously contained industrial units, including works that involved asbestos. There are therefore strict rules about how the developer manages the site and any emissions their work residents are crowdfunding in order to pursue legal action and have called for the construction to stop until independent testing and a review of safety measures is undertaken. One resident said living nearby was "like living in a dystopian nightmare".A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: "We understand how concerned residents are about asbestos at the site. Like many building sites in Kirklees, and across the country, there are hazardous chemicals in the ground that need to be managed carefully. "That's why we've ordered these extra tests to respond to what residents have seen and address their understandable worries."We will carry out this thorough testing as quickly as we can and report the results back to residents before deciding what, if any, further action is needed. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the site closely."Since the start of the work, some residents have sent samples of the dust collecting in their homes to be analysed by asbestos specialist, Local Democracy Reporting Service said resulting documents from June and July of this year concerning five properties in the area confirmed there was amosite, known as brown asbestos, present in the dust in two samples, and chrysotile, known as white asbestos, in three of the samples were taken from gardens and one from an inside housing provider Thirteen Group, which has taken on the site, said work was being carried out in a "phased and controlled" manner and in "full compliance" with national regulations. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
10-08-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Call to halt Cleckheaton building work over asbestos fears
Residents are urging a council and developers to stop construction work after asbestos dust was found in their started several months ago on 180 homes in Cleckheaton but people living nearby have raised concerns about the quantity of dust created by the works, and its developer, Strata Homes, said the work was being carried out safely and in line with Council said it had carried out 19 monitoring visits in recent months and was in regular dialogue with the developer and residents. Resident Tracy Weaver said living near the development was "like living in a dystopian nightmare".She said: "There have been people who now need inhalers. Four of us [on the same street] have been referred to the hospital for a chest X-ray to be on the safe side. We can't get a deep breath. I can't go a whole day without an inhaler."Another resident, who did not want to be named, said the site was not made safe before building said: "Now they're planning pile driving, which will stir up even more of the material underground. We're scared for our health."The residents are crowdfunding in order to pursue legal action and have called for the construction to stop until independent testing and a review of safety measures is undertaken. In October 2023, planning permission was granted to allow Strata Homes to build on a plot of land off Westgate, then, the site has been taken on by affordable housing provider Thirteen Group with the construction being carried out by Strata Homes.A contamination report, submitted alongside the planning application in 2023, stated asbestos was among the materials present in parts of the said evidence suggested an "unknown quantity" of asbestos was dumped in one area, which had previously been home to a chemical works, but it had been filled over by a previous tenant.A remediation strategy was drawn up to set out how risks would be addressed and the start of the work, some residents have sent samples of the dust collecting in their homes to be analysed by asbestos specialist, Acorn. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said resulting documents from June and July of this year concerning five properties in the area, confirmed there was amosite, known as brown asbestos, present in the dust in two samples, and chrysotile, known as white asbestos, in three of the samples were taken from gardens and one from an inside Group said work on the site was being carried out in a "phased and controlled" manner and in "full compliance" with national executive Matt Forest said Kirklees Council and the Health and Safety Executive had found nothing of said: "We are aware of local residents' concerns and have sought assurances from the specialist contractor handling the remediation of the site."The contractor has confirmed work is progressing in a phased and controlled manner, in line with the remediation plan approved by Kirklees Council, and in full compliance with national regulations."A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: "We understand the concerns residents have about the site and want to reassure them that we are taking them seriously."We have communicated with residents about the steps we are taking to keep them safe but it's clear to us that concerns remain." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Denby Dale housing plan attracts objections
A plan for 30 new homes in a West Yorkshire village is set to be decided by the of the development, which includes 21 five-bedroom homes, is set to fall within the green belt in Denby Dale, near Strata Homes initially said it was "unviable" to provide affordable housing as part of the plan, but six of the houses will be affordable after independent consultants found this was not the Council officers have recommended the plans be approved at a planning committee meeting on Thursday despite objections from residents and the Woodland Trust. The charity said it was concerned about deterioration of Tanner Wood, an ancient semi-natural woodland along the estate's boundary, as work was proposed within 15m of the "buffer zone".One objector said: "The village is becoming a commuter village for wealthy people."The village needs affordable houses for young families and older people – not yet more four or five-bedroom houses that a lot of people can't afford." Nine out of the 30 houses will be two, three or four-bedroom homes, while the rest would have five bedrooms, according to the vast majority of the houses would be detached, and all will have a driveway or member of the public said the green belt land would be "wasted on properties the local area does not need or want"."None of the houses built ever seem to be for the less wealthy or more elderly people in the village," a third submission application will be decided by committee due to the high number of objections received, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Homes said it had considered the site and its surroundings "in physical, social and economic terms" which had influenced the proposal. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
