What’s going on Mr Pickles?

News that Secretary of State, Eric Pickles has informed Councils to take heed of Planning Guidelines concerning visual and environmental impact of wind farms, rings hollow with members of Urmston’s Breathe Clean Air Group.

“This is the same Mr Pickles who granted planning permission for a 40 metre high, biomass incinerator in Davyhulme, which will pollute the air we breathe,” said Pete Kilvert, Chairman of BCAG. “The visual impact of the Barton Renewable Energy Plant, which will be higher than the M60 motorway bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, will be a blot on the landscape for Davyhulme and devalue property prices. The air will be so badly polluted that disease and premature death will be common place in our community,” he added.

Urmston and Davyhulme already suffer from high levels of air pollution because of the M60 motorway. Diesel exhaust fumes in particular generate nitrogen dioxide, which is already above the safety limit. Traffic fumes also contain microscopic particles of soot, believed to be well in excess of safety levels. Diesel fumes have been declared a carcinogen by the World Health Organisation.

“Any addition to this motorway pollution must not be allowed,” said Pete Kilvert. “We also suffer from high levels of airborne arsenic and we don’t know where it’s coming from. The proposed incinerator plans to burn waste wood impregnated with arsenic and it will also create emissions of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. There is also a threat to air quality from local Fracking. The Breathe Clean Air Group wants to see no additional pollution in Davyhulme and wants the current air pollution monitored, controlled and communicated properly.”