Countryside Properties withdraws from £150 million+ asbestos factory homes planning application

A young girl graphically highlights the danger of asbestos at a Save Spodden Valley protest

At the Spotland area forum, on Thursday evening (8 June), Rochdale Council’s Head of Planning and Regeneration, Ken Smith, shocked those present with news that Countryside Properties PLC had withdrawn from the controversial planning application to build over 600 homes on the Turner Brothers Asbestos factory site - once the world’s largest asbestos textile factory.

The £150 million+ plans were labelled a “sick joke” by many local residents and former asbestos factory workers when first published in December 2004.   

It appears the planning application now remains with the site’s current owners, Heywood based MMC Estates and offshore company Rathbone Jersey Ltd based in St Helier. 

Land Registry documents state that a charge was registered on the title in September 2004. The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC is cited as the lender. 

No reasons were given for Countryside Properties’ withdrawing from the application. Head of Planning Ken Smith confirmed that the planning application remains firmly on hold.

The past three years have seen much controversy in the Spodden valley: A community campaign “Save Spodden Valley” has received all-party support locally and in Westminster and Brussels. Issues raised by the campaign have been the topic of a Maiden Speech, Early Day Motion and adjournment debates.  

The SSV campaign has a stark message about the site: “one more cancer death caused by asbestos from this site is one too many”. 

Woodlands surrounding the former asbestos factory site were destroyed in May 2004.

In 2005 a Countryside Properties Director stated on national BBC radio that local residents were “wrong” to suggest that there was exposed asbestos in the valley. The following BBC investigations confirmed contamination of areas of the site. 

An independent report published by Atkins Global suggested that parts of the site contained asbestos dumped several metres deep.  

In 2005 Countryside Properties were criticised for “cybersquatting” – registering internet domain names such as “SaveSpoddenValley.com” that could be confused with the community campaign yet directed web surfers to Countryside Properties own corporate website.

The BBC reported an investigation suggesting that Councillors had been misled by suggestions that asbestos test results were negative when, in fact positive test results for asbestos contamination had been confirmed. Soon after, Managing Directors from MMC Estates and Countryside Properties issued apologies for “past actions” and “miscommunication”.

Within months of these public statements a glossy brochure, supported by Countryside Properties PLC, was published and distributed to thousands of households in Rochdale. The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the brochure was misleading and breached its code for honesty, substantiation and truthfulness.

Jason Addy, co-ordinator of the Save Spodden Valley campaign says: “Countryside Properties is a national company that claims to be at the forefront of brownfield regeneration. They publish annual Environmental, Ethical and Social reports, yet we have been shocked by the tactics that seem to have been employed against our community. Perhaps 'people power' has prevailed?” 

“Although it appears that Countryside Properties have left MMC Estates in the lurch, this is not the end of our campaign. We must ensure that the whole of the asbestos factory site is made permanently safe for future generations of Rochdalians.

“This is a site that must be treated with the utmost respect. Too many people have already died as a result of asbestos from this site. For many, the prospect of putting family homes there just beggars belief.” 

It was revealed recently that Rochdale Council have begun legal proceedings against MMC Estates for an alleged breach of the Spodden Valley’s Tree Preservation Order that protects the site’s remaining trees.