When I last reported on the curious goings on at this former Albright and Wilson hazardous waste dump that was being unearthed, it appeared that a great deal of work had been taking place, BEFORE any planning permission had been obtained.
Sandwell council, according to planning officer Allison Bishop stated
“I am informed that the drilling rig will be on site next week for approximately 2 weeks to take samples. A clean cover of top soil will then be put back.”
I was satisfied following a walk over the site that these works do not constitute commencement of restoration works but are merely to inform the planning application. I am informed that the planning application will be submitted early next year following analysis of the test results and full design being prepared.”
This of course does not prevent exposure to residents in George Wood Avenue who no doubt have concern about this “restoration work” and what it will involve- AFTER they had been sold a pup by Morris Homes. SMBC of course are interested along with the faceless “Black Country LEP”- a poor man’s latter day Black country Development Corporation of building even more around this vile toxic Albright and Wilson chemical “radioactive” dump.
What’s behind the screening covers?
The equipment stated in the email did arrive as billed, with the company “GEOTRON UK” visible on site.
The rig arrives
The drilling rig, you could be forgiven for thinking looks like something that Larry Hagman might have stood next to back in the 80’s.
It appears that this is given the title “COMACCHIO GEO 205” . Here are the technical specifications below.
It can be seen from these pictures that there appears to be some form of pump in operation and liquid materials.
We are talking inches away from people’s homes
The other noticeable new feature were wooden boxes which uncannily look like the old AW bomb crates- complete with rope handles!
Obviously someone has a fairly sick sense of humour here, though instead of phosphorus grenades, the drilled samples of whatever material they have unearthed appear to be being stashed in jam jars.
But here is the curious thing, from the “Gower Tip” labels on these boxes, why were there two , both marked “box 1” ?
Are we getting a dummy box 1 which will contain the real samples, replaced by a fictitious box one with made up results, or is this some form of weird urine sample test where the b results are stored in case of a positive drug test a sample?
Whatever these environmental consultants and their sub contractors were doing at this site, to supposedly inform a planning application, one can see that much material has already been scraped back away from the residential properties in George Wood Avenue.
We will see what the site owners come up with before this application arises, but before then, I will certainly be asking some more questions of SMBC about what they know.
