More photographs at http://www.bheag.co.uk/j-dickinson-and-son-fire/
It is a local joke that the A6 signposts the recycling plant but not the otherwise sleepy village of Blackrod. Local residents could be forgiven for thinking that the signposts are no longer needed as the second fire, in recent weeks, in the same warehouse, swept through Dickinson’s plant on Station Road on Tuesday evening.
Indeed this is the fourth major fire at local, privately owned recycling plants in less than three years. All in built up residential areas. The other two were at Armstrong’s on Chorley New Road.
One resident asked “Do we really have local recycling businesses? The combustables seem to end up catching fire else being dumped in Pilkington Quarry and the non combustables are piling high at various sites, well above the permitted levels. The national guidance for green belt development PPG2, para 3.15 states “ The visual amenities of the Green Belt should not be injured by proposals for development within or conspicuous from the Green Belt” It doesn’t come much more conspicuous than this – the buildings aren’t even a camouflaged green colour.”
Another resident commented about the new proposal to build a power plant towards the West of Blackrod.
“The wind direction at Manchester airport is irrelevant. The wind blows either up the valley or down the valley, vortexing over our village. Imagine over 800 tonnes of biofuel (20 fuel tanker’s worth), together with a gas station igniting. The plume would rise and engulf our village. If anyone is in doubt about where the plume will travel in normal operation look at the smoke direction and height from the Dickinson’s fire. Equally concerning is that the plant will be totally unmanned. Whilst I am sure that there will be fire precautions at the proposed Blue NG plant, such precautions must also exist at the Dickinson’s and Armstrong’s sites.
It is understood that twenty fire appliances attended the fire. Crown Lane was closed in both directions and with no access to Blackrod Train Station but has now re-opened
More photographs at http://www.bheag.co.uk/j-dickinson-and-son-fire/
KEY DATES
19 August- three planning applications for Pilkington Quarry to be considered by Bolton Council Planning Committee
August – formal application expected by Blue-NG
http://www.bheag.co.uk/blue-ng/
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/
Updates will be regularly posted on this site.
