Fears at Stratford's former tip site as Riverside Project work uncovers waste from 50 years ago
CONCERNS have been raised that environmentally harmful materials could be unearthed during the ongoing Riverside Project after plastic packaging dating back 50 years was found at the site.
The waste surfaced after heavy earth-moving vehicles working near Lench Meadows sliced open a top layer of soil, known as the cap, on the former landfill site with their tracks.
While Stratford District Council has said nothing that poses a risk has been found, campaigners are worried that more hazardous materials buried in the landfill might emerge as work continues.
Items recently uncovered include a Fairy Liquid bottle, an empty packet of Birds Eye garden peas and a product bearing a price tag which pre-dates decimalisation.
Stratford resident Dr Liz Willetts who supports the Friends of Lench Meadows, a group which campaigned throughout last year for local nature reserve status at the site and to protect the area’s wildlife, told the Herald there are concerns over what sort of risks other materials dumped at the landfill might still pose.
Dr Willetts has previously warned that the site, which was used for landfill from 1950 to 1971, not only contained domestic waste but also waste from businesses in Stratford at that time, including garages, workshops, builders, metal works, electrical contractors, printers, chemical manufacturers, dry cleaners and agriculture. This means the land, behind Warwick Road, could contain motor oil, asbestos, aertex, mercury, lead, detergents and pesticides.
On three recent site inspections, where she has been able to gain access, Dr Willetts said she was left anxious by contractors not wearing PPE. It was during one of these visits last week, Dr Willetts spotted the plastic waste and photographed it.
The work is being carried out under the management of Tandem Projects.
Dr Willetts told the Herald: “Tandem Projects has said only 75mm or three and-a-half inches of the cap was disturbed by vehicle tracks but I’ve seen it, photographed it and measured it and it’s 15 to 16 inches deep in some places. That’s why items have been brought to the surface.
“They have since covered the area with a layer of fresh soil.
“Tandem has said some plastic bags and light debris have been found, but these are not a serious concern and were probably dropped by the public. I would agree if it was a Twix wrapper but not a Fairy Liquid bottle. If they are actually disturbing the area they are destabilising it and the planning application approved by the district council states there should no disturbance of the landfill.”
A spokesperson for Friends of Lench Meadows said: “It’s clear the cap has been breached. There are concerns for the churning up of the landfill, concerns for residents and concerns this sort of thing might happen and there is a duty of care as people continue to use some of the area.”
However, Stratford District Council told the Herald there was no cause for concern and work was being carried out in accordance with the planning consent.
“Contractors have visited the site and confirmed that the excavation is being carried out correctly and all machines on site are using tracks rather than wheels, to minimise impact to the existing ground,” the council said in a statement. “There is a small length of track between the excavation site to a haul route where the top surface (some average of 75mm) has been disturbed. On inspection this isolated small area contains some plastic bags etc and debris but is of no serious concern.
“The contractor is observing the discovery strategy as agreed within the planning consent. This small area will be getting recapped over with suitable soil and reinstated so as to return the area to the standards required of the nature reserve that is being preserved/created.
“Unfortunately, and as previously acknowledged, in order to carry out the works and create the habitats that once thrived in this area, there is a temporary need to carry out work that on the face of it will appear to some as destructive and mess creating.
“This is a temporary phase and essential in the long-term creation of a nature reserve.”
Stratford District Council granted planning permission for the Riverside Project last November, a scheme they created with Stratford Town Trust to bring more people to the area, manage better its biodiversity and get local nature reserve status.
While some parts of the scheme, like an extension to Fisherman’s car park, were eventually shelved, other elements, including the building of new bridges to provide better access, remained and work started on those in the last few weeks.
The scheme also includes new foot/cycle paths connecting the car park with the town centre – it was suggested this would help keep some traffic out of Stratford.
Bore holes were dug at the site to test what was in the soil but nothing that posed a risk was found. However, critics claimed not enough bore holes were tested.
The project is expected to cost about £2m, with £1.5m coming from a grant from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
