Angry villagers campaign against toxic storage plans

9:19am Saturday 20th October 2007

VILLAGERS angry at plans to store toxic materials near their homes have launched a campaign to fight the proposals.

A petition signed by 175 residents of Melmerby, near Ripon, was presented to Harrogate Borough Council this week.

It objects to an application by the Potter Group to store 500 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, 280 tonnes of very toxic material, including cyanide and hydrofluoric acid, and 2,000 tonnes of flammable material on its 42-acre site at Melmerby Industrial Estate. The site has been used for the storage of hazardous substances since 1972.

Under the proposals, the company has agreed to the revocation of an existing hazardous substance consent, which allows for the storage of 9,999 tonnes of potentially explosive ammonium nitrate fertiliser.

Harrogate Borough Council gave its backing to the application in August and a hazardous substances consent will be issued by the authority once legal paperwork relating to the revocation of the existing consent is completed.

In September, representatives from the Potter Group attended a public meeting to provide background information about the application.

Following the meeting, residents set up a campaign group, Madness (Melmerby Against Destructive, Noxious and Explosive Substances Storage), which has put together the petition.

Peter West, a member of the group, said: "The petition does reflect the strength of feeling that there is in the village. People are pretty angry about this.

"We have talked about direct action such as blocking the roads, but we thought we would then lose the moral high ground.

"We are prepared to take it as high as we have to, including going to the European Court of Human Rights."

The Health and Safety Executive was consulted about the application and recommended that the Potter Group be granted consent on the grounds that there were no significant safety reasons to refuse permission because the risks to the surrounding population are so small.

Matthew Lamb, managing director of the Potter Group, said: "Our record in storing chemical products there is exemplary.

"We continue to conform to, or exceed, stringent standards and regulations to protect the well-being of the public, our staff and business associates."