New Worries over St Margaret's Noxious Fumes

1.53.39pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 23rd Oct 2006

Vincent Cable MP has written to the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to follow-up complaints from residents about noxious fumes from the refinery in St Margaret's, next to the station and the Film Studios. The industrial site has been the subject of repeated scares including an explosion and (separately) major leakages in 1998 and Vincent Cable has, on several occasions, asked the HSE to carry out checks.

He said: "The plant was approved in war time when it did not require planning permission. There is no way that it would be approved today in a dense residential area. I am sure that the owner is responsible and is doing his best to maintain safety standards. But there are inevitably worries about the safety of an installation of this kind and the recent emissions of noxious fumes have made some residents nervous."