Housing at contentious Rochdale asbestos works back on table

Yorkshire-based remediation specialist ESG Trading has acquired the former Turner Brothers Asbestos factory off Spod Road and plans to spend £15m cleaning up the site for redevelopment. 

ESG acquired the 111-acre Spodden Valley site from Renshaw Properties, a firm based in the British Virgin Islands, for an undisclosed sum. 

“The former Turner Brothers Asbestos site provides a potential opportunity to contribute to the future growth of Rochdale,” said Martin Greenwood, chairman of ESG. 

“But this can only be realised by a careful, considered and safe strategy to decontaminate, demolish and remediate the land.” 

ESG’s acquisition reignites the possibility of the site being redeveloped into housing, an idea that has proved contentious in the past. 

Following the closure of the factory, the site became mired in controversy when it was bought by Heywood-based MMC Land & Regeneration in 2004. 

MMC wanted to create a £100m urban village on the site in joint venture with Countryside Properties but the plans were met with fierce criticism by campaigners who claimed the land was unsafe. 

Subsequent site investigations have demonstrated that the site is contaminated. 

Rochdale Council refused the JV’s application for 600 homes in 2011. Shortly after, MMC withdrew its application and sold the land to Renshaw. 

Greenwood added: “I am very aware of the sensitivities that have surrounded previous attempts to regenerate the site and my team are in ongoing discussions with Rochdale Council, the Environment Agency and the Health & Safety Executive, to develop a remediation strategy that exceeds statutory requirements.” 

Thought to have once been the world’s largest asbestos manufacturing centre, the Rochdale facility ceased production of the harmful material in the 1990s, more than 100 years after it was founded in 1871. 

Turner Brothers Asbestos, which later became Turner & Newall, filed for bankruptcy in 2001 in the face of huge compensation demands from former workers. 

The business, which had been acquired by Federal-Mogul in 1998, collapsed with a reported pension deficit of £400m.  

ESG, which specialises in decontaminating and remediating complex brownfield sites, aims to engage fully with the public on its proposals. 

“Over the coming weeks, survey work will begin and residents may notice increased activity across the site,” Greenwood said. 

“This vital survey work will inform the remediation strategy and has been agreed with regulators.  No remediation work will begin without all relevant approvals being in place. 

“My team are also aware of the level of interest from the local community about the site.  While we do not have all of the answers at the moment, we look forward to introducing ourselves to local residents over the coming weeks and will take an open and transparent approach to information sharing.” 

Your Comments

Read our comments policy

This place should be returned to nature, capped and covered, treated as a waste disposal site. Asbestos dumped all over it with no record keeping. People in Rochdale suffered enough with the original factory, never mind disturbing whatever lies underground now.

By Jonty M

This site is in my opinion far too dangerous. Who could live with themselves after disrupting all those asbestos particles, making them airborne to contaminate the surrounding inhabited areas?

By Peter rostron

It was only a matter of time before someone would build property on the site. As for remediating the land this means absolutely nothing. Asbestos is on par with nuclear waste and should kept sealed and or covered in clay pits., in other words capped and never to be disturbed. I am on the admin site for a group in Washington regarding Asbestos from the old Turner Newalls factory. Decades after this was closed Asbestos is still claiming lives. Reports clearly showed evidence of Asbestos, trial pits also showed different types of Asbestos. I firmly believe the same will happen at Rochdale.

By Jim Beresford

Related Articles

Sign up to receive the Place Daily Briefing

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

"*" indicates required fields

Your Job Field*
Other regional Publications - select below