Public inquiry to decide fate of award-winning eco-village
Artist impression of eco-development Heath Park (Image: handout)
A ‘net-zero’ housing development of the future is battling to get built – amid claims billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s nearby chemical plant leaves residents at “risk of harm”.
Labour’s vowed to get Britain building again and already 18,000 residents live by the Runcorn Chemical Complex, in Cheshire – partly run by the Man United co-owner’s INEOS group.
It’s been local businessman John Lewis’s dream to build leisure facilities, shops and 545 houses – a design award-winning green energy estate for the future called Heath Park – on his firm SOG Ltd.’s land 1km from the chlorine-holding plant.
In May, Halton Borough Council approved Heath Park’s plans despite the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warning in “the most possible strongest terms” – claiming there could be a “risk of harm … from a major accident”.
Yet the last recorded chlorine fatality in Runcorn was 78 years ago, when a worker died after a chemical drums was punctured in a rail crash in 1946.
Being near the chemical plant, any land within a set radius is called a COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) zone monitored by the HSE and bringing a set of UK safety regulations – including scrutiny on any new dwellings.
Now Secretary of State for Housing Angela Rayner will decide if it goes ahead after a public inquiry in February, where it is hoped the HSE’s contested evidence for opposing the plans can be scrutinised.
The HSE have stressed to the Daily Express that they “assess the risks using scientific models based on research, learning from incidents worldwide, and information from industry and the wider scientific community.”
John Lewis wants to give something back to Runcorn (Image: handout)
But married father-of-two Mr Lewis said if any of his safety experts, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling to of possible major incidents at the plant, had any concerns he would bin his project….but they haven’t.
Instead he claims the HSE are using three-decade old modelling to turn down vital new housing projects – affecting the UK’s attempts to create new eco-village’s like Heath Park.
Mr Lewis MBE, 62, the nephew of legendary Liverpool comic Sir Ken Dodd, told us: “I have worked near the Runcorn Chemicals complex since 1977 and I’m not aware of any incident involving an injury to the public from a chlorine leak.
“Our vision for the development has won national awards for its innovation – but if someone can demonstrate to me that people could be under threat of injury or death I’m not going to do it! Why would I?
“But no-one has demonstrated any risk. The HSE have a model developed in the 1990s and say if you are in a COMAH zone you can only build a certain number of houses.
“But the HSE don’t take into account existing houses – there’s already around 18,000 people are living there. This inquiry is going to cost taxpayers over £1m.
“It’s so frustrating. I have friends here. Runcorn has been good to me. It’s a very deprived area. It needs this type of positive development for the future.”
What Heath Park could add to Runcorn (Image: handout)
Mr Lewis’s current Heath Business and Technical Park covers 60 acres is home to over 120 businesses boasting 2,000 jobs and a popular film and TV location used on major TV dramas including BBC’s Sherwood and ITV’s The Tower.
SOG bought it off ICI – where it was their chemicals operation HQ – and in recent years has dreamed of transforming it into a thriving eco village with houses, shops and leisure facilities. SOG sold part the site to developers to build 45 new houses in 2002.
Six years ago – after a new 1,200-pupil school objected to by the HSE was built regardless – Halton Borough Council decided to change the business park to ‘mixed use’ for planning, meaning more houses could be built there.
Halton Borough Council told us they struggle to match their urgent need for new housing with being in an area with “a disproportionate number of public safety zones generated by an airport, hazardous installations, and pipelines compared to the average local authority”.
Mr Lewis asked the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to organise a global competition challenging architects to create a sustainable futuristic eco estate powered by renewable energy, where people can live, work and play.
It’s a 21st Century version of Port Sunlight, the Victorian village in Merseyside built by industrialist Viscount Leverhulme in the 1800s for his workers at his soap factory.
The visionary Heath Park proposal has thrilled town planners and green boffins and is one of 35 ethical projects that featured in the UK’s Global Investment Atlas to attract global investors into the UK.
A key element is its ground-breaking ‘Field of the Future’ vertical farm powered by hydrogen or other renewable energy sources, putting the UK at the forefront of ‘Net Zero’ farming tech.
But Runcorn has more COMAH zones than any other local authority in the country and in recent years the HSE has objected to a number of planning applications over perceived risk to public safety.
Now Mr Lewis claims Heath Park is caught in the crossfire between HSE officials and the local council over this issue.
Heath Park could be a housing jewel in Britain’s crown (Image: handout)
John Lewis with his uncle, the late Sir Ken Dodd (Image: Reach)
His outline planning application was unanimously approved by Halton’s Development Management Committee in May in spite of fierce HSE objections, which the planners dismissed.
The HSE makes decisions based on scenario modelling chemical leaks and spills – but the council claims HSE’s modelling is 30 years out of date and accused it of “stoking fears”.
The Daily Express has visited the site and Heath Park is 80 metres above the chemical plant and 1km away – as chlorine gas is more than twice heavier than air, critics say it’s far-fetched to claim it could spread up a small hill.
Mr Lewis adds: “The chemicals complex has invested millions of pounds over the past 20 years to improve operations and safety which was part funded with the grants from the Government.
“That said, if the HSE’s new claims that even a small leakage of chlorine from the Chemical Complex is now ‘lethal’, then this raises very serious concerns for thousands of people with homes and businesses in the immediate vicinity of the complex.
“If the HSE’s assertions are true and can be evidenced, then this will blight the area and lead to lawsuits and compensation claims from all those houses and businesses that will be drastically devalued.”
Now the HSE have asked Angela Rayner to ‘Call In’ the Heath Park application – in other words asking that she decide herself after a week-long public inquiry due to be held in February 2025.
Mayor Andy Burnham, Mr Lewis and Mayor Steve Rotherham at the Heath site (Image: handout)
But the row has created a fresh problem – ‘Safety Advice Cards’ are issued every five years to all residents and businesses near the chemical plant as they live within a ‘tier 1’ COMAH zone and legally any dangers must be explained.
Before 2023 the Runcorn Chemicals Complex wrote on the safety cards that any chlorine leaks could potentially lead to “eye irritation, coughing and breathing difficulties.”
But from August 2023 this was upgraded to greatly enhance the risks to human health including damage to lungs that could be severe or even and fatal, adding: “Chlorine is a very toxic gas and even in low concentration can be lethal.”
It has been suggested this new Safety Advice Card information has been used by the HSE as part of their objections to Heath Park.
But it could also spark law firms to pursue a multi-million pound class action against INEOS for misleading more than 10,000 property owners and local businesses about the potential health risks from the site.
Senior lawyer John Lord, of Manchester law firm Horwich Farrelly, says experts suggest property values could plummet by up to 25 per cent as a result of this new safety card heightening the dangers of living by the plant.
He has written to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s lawyers warning that his company is now liable to a massive compensation claim that will cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told us as this case will come before its ministers to determine, it would not be appropriate to comment.
In response to criticism about the ‘call in’ of Heath Park, the HSE told us: “Britain’s well-established public safety advice for planning applications has kept communities safe for nearly 50 years, after the explosion at the Nypro plant in Flixborough in 1974.
“We are one of a number of regulators legally obliged to provide advice when planning applications are made. We assess the risks using scientific models based on research, learning from incidents worldwide, and information from industry and the wider scientific community.
“On this occasion we made a request to the Secretary of State to ‘call in’ the application for their own determination – this was accepted and the inquiry was set up. We will fully play our part in supporting the inquiry.”
INEOS were contacted seven days ago but have still so fail failed to supply any statement.
Runcorn’s Long History With Industry
The Heath Park proposal (Image: handout)
Once a Norman settlement, Runcorn in Cheshire saw a boom in the 18th century when the Duke of Bridgewater extended his canal network there – a link between Manchester and the seaport of Liverpool.
Runcorn became a vital conduit between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool with the canals moving salt from Cheshire, coal from Lancashire and clay from the Potteries.
In the early 19th century Runcorn boomed again as a ‘Spa’ town thanks to its natural salt resources and also attracted the core industries of tanning and chemicals – both reliant on salt for their manufacturing processes.
The construction of a rail bridge and two road bridges over the River Mersey also enabled Runcorn to grow in the areas of logistics, manufacturing, energy, wholesale and retail sectors.
Now Runcorn has ballooned from a hamlet of 280 people to a population in excess of 61,700 people, sitting amid the UK’s most advanced Hydrogen network and a host of other cutting-edge sustainable energy initiatives including solar, wind power and tidal energies.
They will reduce carbon emissions from industry, homes and transport, and support economic growth – with hydrogen tipped to be ‘the new salt’ in Runcorn’s story.
For many years Imperial Chemicals Industries (ICI) was the largest manufacturer in Britain making general chemicals, plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals and speciality products and was the biggest industrial employer in the town.
ICI’s chemicals headquarters, where it conducted research and development, was situated at The Heath in Runcorn – where the proposed housing and shopping development is located.
When the ICI business was sold off, the HQ site was bought in 2000 by Merseyside businessman John Lewis who had formed a business (SOG Ltd) with ICI managers being made redundant – funded by their own investments and a High Street bank loan.
ICI’s Runcorn chemicals plant was snapped up by INEOS, the world’s fourth largest chemicals company formed by businessman and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and a conglomerate of around 20 individual businesses.
Mr Lewis was wondering how best to upgrade The Heath when Halton Borough Council, decided to change the use of the business park from employment land to mixed use – to answer their pressing need for new housing.
He asked the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) to organise a global competition for architects and designers to create a sustainable futuristic environment, powered by renewable energy, for people to live, work and play.
Years of planning with Lancaster and Liverpool University academics designed what Mr Lewis dubs “a modern Port Sunlight” – the Victorian Merseyside village built by industrialist Viscount Leverhulme in the 1800s for soap factory workers.
Heath Park was adopted as a Beacon Project by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and is one of 35 ethical projects in the UK’s Global Investment Atlas which aims to attract global investors into the UK.
One key element of Heath Park are proposals to include a ground-breaking ‘Field of the Future’ vertical farm powered by Hydrogen or other renewable energy sources as a model that can put the UK at the forefront of ‘Net Zero’ farming technology to grow carbon free food.
The HSE objected to The Heath’s plans – citing risk levels of a possible chlorine leak from the Runcorn Chemicals Complex (RCC) – while Mr Lewis and Halton Borough Council disagree with the risk levels that HSE are claiming.
SOG’s independent experts’ own risk review using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling vastly differs from HSE’s risk assessment.
Now the whole matter is going to a public inquiry early next year – to decide the fate of the project and the hope for a new future for Runcorn.
What Is A COMAH Zone?
COMAH stands for Control of Major Accident Hazards and is a set of UK safety regulations for any establishment storing or handling large quantities of industrial, hazardous chemicals.
They were aimed to prevent major accidents such as the Flixborough explosion at a chemical plant, North Lincolnshire, in 1974 that killed 28 on site – or the 2005 Buncefield disaster at the oil storage terminal, in Hemel Hempstead, Herts – and limit the resulting consequences to people and the environment.
COMAHs are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the relevant regional environmental agencies and there are around 1,000 COMAH sites located the UK, mainly chemical industry plants or on-land oil/gas refineries.
However, there are also 70 COMAH sites warehouses for the Scotch whisky industry. Being a COMAH site – or being located near a COMAH – can limit the types of building development which are permitted.
The legislation requires local planning authorities to consider any potential accident hazards before they can grant planning permission in relation to establishments, at Halton Borough Council did last May.
For developments that would result in a large number of people being in close proximity to a COMAH site and thus at risk if an accident was to occur, it is likely to be a deciding influencer.
In the case of the Runcorn Site, their 2021 Safety Advice Card warns people in the COMAH Public Information Zone that in the event of a “chemical emergency” or “toxic gas release” it could cause “eye irritation, coughing and breathing difficulty”.
But without explanation an updated 2023 Safety Advice Card, it upgraded its warnings to include “damage to the lungs” and “fatal in the worst case.”
COMMENT – Council Tells Daily Express Why They Need New Housing Like Heath Park
By Tim Gibbs, Halton Borough Council’s Director of Planning & Transport:
EXCLUSIVE
“As we go about our daily lives we are all exposed to safety risks. These can arise from things we choose to do, such as sports, driving, and life style choice, but also from the activity of others – for example transport, industry, and energy production.
“Compared to an average local authority area, Halton has a large number of facilities that have an associated public safety risk – an airport, factories making hazardous chemicals, and industrial pipelines.
“Historically, communities established themselves next to places of work. The Council must now cater for its existing communities and deliver their basic needs, such as housing, jobs, schooling, and regeneration.
“The Council has successfully managed this tension over the last 40 years through town planning, by managing local populations and their needs.
“Currently, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) designate public safety zones and these cover c.11,000 existing homes in Halton.
“Essentially these zones are a line on a map showing levels of safety risk.
“The Council continues to ask for transparency from HSE about how their models create these zones, seeking reassurance from HSE that its models are up-to-date and reflect current industrial processes and environmental conditions.
“Unfortunately, HSE decline to engage or collaborate, and instead block regeneration schemes, triggering costly public inquiries.
“The Council is clear that public safety is a significant consideration. It is critical that town planning decisions are informed by up-to-date and transparent information to ensure public safety and avoid unnecessary blight.
“The Council feels it is important for existing communities to understand their level of risk.
“Halton is held back by constraints on investment in these zones, reducing potential receipts from council tax and business rates that fund the services that residents receive, such as social care, accounting for around 85 per cent of the Council’s total budget.
“If public safety concerns are genuinely so high that they trump the needs of existing communities, then Halton must be compensated for this blight, a fair exchange for its unique contribution to the UK economy (chemicals), through new central government policy and financing.”
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