'Higher priority' soil tests near chemical site

The former chemical plant in Thornton-Cleveleys used PFOA until 2012

A new phase of soil sampling is taking place on land where a potentially cancer-causing substance has been found.

Wyre District Council said samples of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) were found in a south-eastern area of the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire.

Wyre Council said it hopes to get the results of the sampling by early 2026.

Residential and commercial properties to the south-east of the existing area had been identified as a "higher priority" and will be tested.

More sampling

PFOA was used at the former ICI site between the 1950s and 2012.

Sampling will also be undertaken at locations considered to be at "lower risk".

These are intended to help validate earlier results, including locations to the south, west and north-west of the facility and Sandringham Avenue allotments.

The organisations involved - including Wyre Council and the Environment Agency - said they were committed to acting "as swiftly and efficiently as possible".

They said their investigations usually moved forward in steps, with each stage providing a deeper understanding of the situation.

Michael Vincent, leader of Wyre Council, said it is hoped the results of the tests would be available early next year.

"At this stage I don't think people need to be worried," he said. "The threat to public health comes from when the soil or PFOA is consumed."

AGC Chemicals Europe, which took over part of the ICI plant, has previously said it stopped using PFOA in 2012, and that 40 years of monitoring showed "no significant impact" from emissions.

Last year, after previous testing, Wyre District Council warned people living near to the site not to eat fruit and vegetables grown in local soil.

A BBC investigation into concerns about PFOA in the area heard from residents who feared their health may have been affected by the presence of the chemical in the local environment.