Lack of Consultation must never happen again!

Cllr Wera Hobhouse, Rochdale Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability has held an urgent meeting with Leading Council Officers - seeking assurances that in future she will be consulted fully on issues affecting residents of the Rochdale Borough. Wera was speaking after finding out too late about the removal of rubble from the former Turner and Newell Asbestos Site in Rochdale. The Rubble will be transported through Heywood from the former Turners Brother's site to the Virador Landfill at Bury.

Wera said, "I am not criticising individual officers, but the culture of the council must change and that means communicating fully with Portfolio Holders, those ultimately responsible for major issues that affect the Borough.

I have made it clear to Council Officers that I should have been briefed about the ongoing discussion between the Council, the Environment Agency and the HSE. In an urgent meeting today I have set out that the Council's position must be that everything that happens on the former TBA site complies fully with the testing methodology and recommendations of the Atkins report which has been commissioned at a considerable cost to the Borough's Council Tax Payers.

I have stressed that the Health and Safety of the people of Rochdale Borough is my number one priority and should be safeguarded by the rigorous adherence to the Atkins Report."