LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fighting for our future over toxic tip that is a ‘disaster waiting to happen’

Grange Park is a very beautiful area and if this opening goes ahead it would be a tragedy for the environment, the people of Rotherham, the children of Rotherham and Kimberworth residents.

There will be pollution, noise and dust. Rotherham Council say they are against the opening of the tip. The Environment Agency say they don’t want the toxic tip, but what have they done to oppose its opening? You got it, absolutely nothing, yes nothing. They are bending over backwards to help this developer.

Let’s take the Environment Agency, the custodians of our land. They have been given, and it’s been proven, information of toxic materials on that tip, the tip being five metres too high and capped off with shale when it should have been capped off with clay to prevent landslip.

There has already been a landslip and these people, the very same people that told us they would monitor and protect the environment last time and look what a disaster it was, the very same Environment Agency telling the same blah blah, they will do all they can to monitor the tip. Do you believe them?

Let’s take Rotherham Borough Council; they have been asked legitimate proven questions by the action group about various issues, some answers they don’t usually get, some answers they say it’s nothing to do with them when it is, or it’s the Environment Agency who regulates, only to be proved it is the council’s issue.

They said that waste from the demolished Primark site would not go to Droppingwell tip, so why were lorries from the Primark site seen taking loads and entering Droppingwell tip?

They have denied time and time again that the road running along the top of Millmoor Juniors football ground does not belong to them, only to be proved it does. Rotherham Borough Council do own the land.

They bleat on and tell us that they don’t maintain the road surface, well if they don’t the developers certainly don’t so that should be the end of the matter. The developer has no access. So why are Rotherham Council making it easy for this developer?

The action committee are allowed to go to Rotherham Council and ask questions when issues arise, they get ten minutes if they are lucky to ask these important issues and questions and are shown the door after this time. They don’t like being questioned and neither does the Environment Agency. Who are the Environment Agency answerable to? You’ve guessed it, nobody, they are accountable to nobody and just do what they want. You ask questions, you may get an answer or not. A question may be left on a table for six months and then they deny they have ever received it. Yes folks, these are the custodians who will be regulating the tip, so how can we trust them or RMBC?

The council have been caught out on many issues, the main one being the denial they did not own the road. Well, you do own the road so get some backbone and stop this tip being developed.

There have been restrictions on the roads that the lorries travel on, but do these people care if you see lorries pounding down your street and you report them? Do you think anything will be done? No, nothing will be done because the police will do nothing, the council will do nothing and the Environment Agency will do nothing.

What if there is another landslide? What if emissions occur from the toxic waste tipped there? What if a lorry runs over a child? What will Rotherham Council do and what will the Environment Agency do? You’ve got if folks, they will turn a blind eye like they have done in the past and say “nothing to do with us”.

These people are bending over backwards for the tip and must be accountable.

People of Kimberworth, it’s your future, your children’s future.

The action group are doing a fantastic job and we thank you for all you are doing, so please get behind these people and do all we can for our future. Thank you.

Mr G N King, Grange Park Action Committee