People living near a former industrial site in Cleckheaton are demanding that Kirklees Council stop all building work immediately, after tests confirmed both brown and white asbestos in household dust and health problems have increased since construction began three months ago.
The land, once home to chemical works, a foundry, an asbestos factory and an asbestos dumping site, was known to be contaminated. Soil reports showed dangerous substances like asbestos, lead, arsenic, and cyanide, with some levels over five times higher than safety guidance.
It has now emerged that the site’s report omitted the former Stone Street asbestos weaving factory, which processed raw asbestos yarn—leaving the full risk unassessed despite its clear relevance to public health
Now the developer plans to begin pile driving, a deep drilling method that could release even more toxic dust into the air. Residents say they are already seeing and breathing in dust—and they’ve had enough.
What’s going wrong
- Dust controls required by the planning permission have not been followed.
- Instead of solid barriers, the site has a chain-link fence with loose netting.
- The air quality monitoring is insufficient, and roads around the site are dusty.
- 5 out of 7 homes tested up to three streets away were found to have asbestos in their dust—two of them with brown asbestos, one of the most dangerous kinds.
Despite this, Kirklees Council and the Health & Safety Executive have taken no action.
What it’s doing to people
Residents have reported:
- A toddler with a blocked lung
- Several new asthma cases
- Worsening chest problems, skin irritation, and eye infections
- Dust collecting on windows, cars, and inside homes
- A strong taste of dust in the air
What residents are saying
“They said this site would be made safe before building began—but it wasn’t. Now they’re planning pile driving, which will stir up even more of the toxic material underground. We’re scared for our health,” said a local resident.
What they’re asking for
- A stop to all construction until safety measures are properly in place
- Independent testing of air and dust
- A review of the safety measures for future residents of these homes, built on a toxic landfill
- A review of the safety measures for existing residents
- A public health investigation