Building site to be tested after asbestos fears

The site is due to deliver 180 new houses by 2028

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 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 developer, Strata Homes, said the work was being carried out safely and in line with regulations.

The site covers around 6.5 hectares and is due to deliver 180 new houses by 2028.

It 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 causes.

Local 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, 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 samples.

Four of the samples were taken from gardens and one from an inside windowsill.

Affordable 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.

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