{"id":10452,"date":"2022-05-11T05:56:24","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T05:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/whatliesbeneathrattlechainlagoon.org.uk\/?p=10452"},"modified":"2022-05-09T19:02:57","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T19:02:57","slug":"putting-the-cons-into-coneygre2-the-dodgy-recycling-venture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatliesbeneathrattlechainlagoon.org.uk\/?p=10452","title":{"rendered":"Putting the cons into Coneygre#2 The dodgy recycling venture"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Coneygre story and Mintworth’s involvement with the site in this second post is commenced with this letter from the Black Country Development Corporation to a Lindley Avenue resident in June 1992.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is noted that Clive Dutton of BCDC states more in hope than in any certainty that Mintworth had by now been given planning permission at the Duport’s Tip\/Sewage works site to import the grossly over tipped piles at Coneygre- reference BCS 1813<\/strong>. Of course, this belies the fact that in playing off these residents with this statement,\u00a0the export of the foundry sand pile at Coneygre\u00a0would knowingly lead to the pain of those living in streets\u00a0on the\u00a0Temple Way estate who had to suffer the misery” imports next to their homes from this.<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Misery” at Temple Way<\/p><\/div>\n

After some hiatus of activities at the Coneygre site where they appeared to have abandoned it,\u00a0a sudden planning application on their remaining undeveloped land- (the one with the huge mound built on top of the limestone unremediated limestone workings) was submitted to the horror of local residents. This was BCS 3553 PROPOSED RECYCLING & WASTE TRANSFER STATION OFF CONEYGREE ROAD TIPTON. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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Part of The Mintworth mound viewed from the canal. Lindley Avenue lies to the immediate right of this greened over pile.<\/p><\/div>\n

BCS3553-BCS3553-70391<\/a><\/p>\n

SMBC’s building regulations officer notes the “numerous problems” associated with this site. It states that the OVE ARUP report found that the abandoned limestone mine directly beneath the site was in a different position to historic plans, as are the risks of collapse. Landfill gas was also identified on the site. The author identifies numerous issues that would be required to even contemplate any end use.<\/p>\n

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News of these plans went down like a lead balloon on the Lindley Avenue\u00a0estate, as well as the new one at Newcomen Drive that were separated by the abandoned Mintworth heaps on top of abandoned old holes. They suspected “sneak tactics” at getting the plans through on the part of BCDC, which were quite justified as it turns out following their clandestine meetings with Mintworth and their agents as a “steering group” at the Duport’s tip\/sewage works sites which never involved any local residents.<\/p>\n

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Express and Star article August 13th 1996<\/p><\/div>\n

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A campaign by local residents was mobilised, even before the BCDC had garnered what it was Mintworth were supposedly going to be importing onto the site. A letter from Keith Brooke to Mintworth’s solicitors asked some probing questions as well as taking into account the guidance issued by the building consultant.<\/p>\n

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It is perhaps quite telling that there was no response to these points for over five months. When it came, the response was vague and uncertain. You can see this in that it repeats the questions that Brooke\u00a0asks to pad out the letter! It is noted that it had “taken some time to ascertain the information requested”.<\/p>\n