Call to turn site of former asbestos factory into nature reserve as councillor says it will take ‘a monumental effort’ to make it safe for housing

The site of what was once the world’s largest asbestos factory should be covered with soil and turned into a wildlife sanctuary, according to a leading councillor. Last year ESG Trading Limited bought the old Turner Brothers Asbestos site, in Rochdale, with a view to cleaning it up and selling it on for a ‘mixed use’ scheme - potentially including housing.

The 75-acre site, off Spod Road, in the Spotland area of the town, has a long history of industrial use, including the manufacture of asbestos, dating back to the 19th century. Exposure to asbestos can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and a rare cancer called mesothelioma.

Castleford-based ESG has assured locals it only plans to remediate the site - including a ‘nice green park’ - before submitting outline proposals to the council. The site would then likely be sold on to a developer that would bring forward detailed proposals at some point in the future. READ MORE : Rochdale's landmark 'Seven Sisters' flats could yet be saved as council plans to buy back demolition-threatened tower blocks

But Councillor Andy Kelly said the council’s priority should be ‘capping it and making it safe’ - with a nature reserve being the ‘only option’ without ‘billions’ being spent on the site. Coun Kelly, whose father worked at TBA for 25 years, told the meeting: I’m a lay person when it comes to this. But what I do know is, for those 25 years, there was dumping of blue asbestos all over the site.

"There were diggers that would just dig a hole, drop it in and cap it. And it’s going to take a monumental effort to convince this councillor this is a safe site to build houses on, without question.”

Coun Kelly insisted it was not a ‘NIMBY argument against housing', but ‘about somebody in the