Following recent national Press coverage in the MailOnline of the problems at the old Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) Site in Rochdale, we are highlighting the potentially catastrophic health risks that could be caused by flooding of the TBA site brought on by Cubico’s proposal to erect 17 x 180m turbines on ancient peat moorland.

Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) in Rochdale started operating in the nineteenth century. The company’s industrial-scale production of asbestos cloth and yarn meant they processed a variety of asbestos types to create their goods, though Chrysotile is noted as being the most common type found in buildings. The company also handled blue (Crocidolite) and brown (Amosite) asbestos which were banned in the UK in 1985. Through the years, their products included:

• Chrysotile (white asbestos): The most common type of asbestos, used for products like insulation, and in textiles like cloth and yarn.
• Blue asbestos (Crocidolite): Used in cement products, insulation, and brake linings. The use of this was banned in the UK in 1985.
• Brown asbestos (Amosite): Used in cement products, pipe insulation, and as a fireproofing agent. The use of this was banned in the UK in 1985.

TBA – later Turner and Newall – was the world’s largest asbestos company and owned mines in Canada and southern Africa alongside its factories in the north of England, where the mineral was processed into a spun yarn, cloth, and other asbestos-containing materials. The dangers of the mineral were unknown when it first opened in the mid-Victorian era, but in 1924, employee Nellie Kershaw became the first person in the UK to have been found to have died from asbestosis. She died on March 14, 1924, aged just 33 years. Her death led to the Asbestos Industry Regulations 1931, the world’s first laws relating to the mineral.

The manufacture of asbestos began on the site in 1879. By 1970 the factory had an annual output of 2,250,000 yards of asbestos cloth and 5,500,000 miles (8,900,000 km) of asbestos yarn. During production in the 20th Century, asbestos was allowed to enter the atmosphere around the factory by way of extractor fans which extracted dust from the factory floor. The factory produced tonnes of asbestos waste each week which had to be disposed of. Even though the site at Rochdale has long since been closed and the manufacture of any asbestos containing products stopped in the 1990’s, the legacy of the TBA factory in Rochdale continues to cause fear for residents who worry about the amount of asbestos left on site and in the surrounding area from the many years of production.

Most asbestos materials were banned in the UK in 1985, with a complete ban following 14 years later. The firm went out of business in 1998. The land in Rochdale, which housed TBA, was bought by ESG Trading. ESG chairman Martin Greenwood said it would ‘decontaminate, demolish and remediate’ the 111-acre site before putting forward any plans for it. Planning applications to build 600 homes on the land were thrown out by Rochdale Council in 2011 following a six-year battle by campaigners who feared people’s health could be put at risk. Three developers have come and gone since then and the current site owners, Spodden Park Ltd, are again planning to redevelop the area. Local residents and campaign groups, such as ‘Save Spodden Valley’, remain concerned about the health risks associated with any disturbance of the site during any future development. They advocate for complete transparency and rigorous independent testing. It is the remains of this industry which worries residents today. Asbestos waste was buried on site and allowed to contaminate the area surrounding the factory. Locals fear that any disturbance would expose current and future residents and visitors to asbestos.

Increased risk of disturbance by flooding

If the former TBA site flooded, a major concern would be the potential disturbance, uncovering and spread of buried asbestos waste, which could both during and after a flood release microscopic fibres into the air and water. This could have severe health implications, as inhaling asbestos fibres is a major cause of respiratory diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. If the Scout Moor 2 wind farm application was approved, the risk of flooding would increase significantly. Increased flooding risk for the former TBA site (now part of the broader Spodden Valley area in Rochdale) would primarily be through the proposed excavation of the upland peatlands for wind turbine and other ancillary installations, road building for access over peatland, and decommissioning activities after the wind turbines’ approximate 25-year lifetime, all of which involve major drainage and excavation of deep peat. This would not only affect the peat’s carbon sequestration capacity, releasing carbon stored in these blanket bogs over millennia, but would also negatively impact biodiversity and ecology, harming and driving away wildlife from our local blanket bog ecosystems forever, and would cause disruption to the local terrain’s hydrology and essential water cycles, resulting in loss of flood resilience for our communities.

Key concerns about flooding risks

Risks identified by campaign groups and local residents include:

• Peatland Damage: Peat acts as a natural sponge, absorbing and storing vast amounts of water and releasing it slowly. Digging up the peat for concrete foundations and other infrastructure would compromise its natural water management functions, leading to faster surface water flow and increased runoff after heavy rains.
• Climate Change: Ecosystems like peatlands absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, which is how peatlands, like the rainforests, are helping to mitigate climate change and reach net zero. Peatlands are the world’s largest natural asset on land for carbon capture with more than twice the carbon stored in all the world’s forests . . . and four times as much as in the atmosphere. Our globally rare blanket bogs on this proposed Scout Moor 2 site contain large amounts of carbon which, when disturbed, massively contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Just one hectare of peatland can contain 5,000 tonnes of carbon that starts to be released into the atmosphere when wind turbines are installed. The recently produced Natural England Peat Map evidences that this area proposed for Scout Moor 2 contains some of the deepest peat in England. The deeper the peat, the more carbon will be emitted during construction, which also rapidly decomposes the peat and creates large holes in the land. As the surrounding peat drains into the holes, the peatland dries out and is irreparably destroyed, huge quantities of carbon dioxide are released and scope for unprecedented local disasters is created including increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, rising water levels, peat bog slides and flooding.
• Altered Drainage: The construction of miles of access roads and massive turbine bases would disrupt and block historic and natural water balance would increase the volume and speed of water reaching downstream areas, such as the TBA site in the Spodden Valley.
• Increased Surface Water Runoff: Replacing absorbent alkaline peatlands and with acidic materials and hard surfaces (concrete for turbine bases and compacted aggregate for roads) reduces the ground’s ability to soak up water, leading to faster and greater surface water runoff.
• Downstream Impact: This wind farm’s construction is proposed on upland peat moors, which naturally attenuates water flow to the communities below. Any development that disrupts this natural hydrological process can increase flood risk for downstream urban areas. The former TBA site is situated downstream in the valley alongside the River Spodden, making it vulnerable to and at risk from any changes in the upstream water flow dynamics.

Potential effects of flooding

• Disturbance of waste: It is a significant environmental and public health concern that flooding could erode the soil covering buried asbestos waste, causing the material to break up, scatter, and release hazardous fibres into the environment and air. This risk is heightened by factors such as climate change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
• Release of fibres: The water could carry the waste to new locations, and if the material dries out, it could release airborne fibres that are then carried by the wind.
• Contamination of water sources: Water runoff could carry asbestos fibres into local drainage systems, rivers, and potentially underground aquifers, contaminating drinking water supplies.

Health implications from disturbance of asbestos

• Inhalation of fibres: The most significant health risk is the inhalation of asbestos fibres, which can lodge in the lungs and cause serious long-term health issues.
• Respiratory diseases: Inhaling asbestos can lead to:

• • Asbestosis – a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes scarring of lung tissue leading to permanent lung damage.

• • Mesothelioma – a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart.

• • Lung cancer.

• Long latency period: Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can take many years, even decades, to develop.
• Irritation and inflammation: Short-term exposure can cause irritation and inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

The developer, Cubico, has stated that it is proposing a major moorland restoration scheme as part of the project, focusing on rewetting the moor and restoring native vegetation to improve habitats and reduce flood risk for surrounding communities. However, it takes 1000 years to create 1 metre of peat and, as these are ancient peatlands, local peat has been forming since the last ice age – around 10,000 years ago. Peat is an irreplaceable, non-renewable resource and local peatlands are some of our most valuable national assets and are of international importance. Our globally rare blanket bogs play a vital role in protecting local communities in so many ways. They contribute to a healthier and more resilient environment, including by reducing flood risk and improving water security. Long-term environmental degradation and increased flooding would be a major concern if the Scout Moor 2 planning application were to be approved.

More information on local concerns can be found through groups such as the Say No to Scout Moor 2 campaign and the Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Forum. The official planning documents, including detailed flood risk assessments, are being considered by Rochdale and Rossendale councils as part of the planning process. The Lancashire Flood Forum has posted a strong objection to Scout Moor 2. It states: ‘the submitted evidence overall lacks the detail the Lead Local Flood Authority requires at this full application stage to demonstrate how the development will meet appropriate standards and comply with national policy and guidance.’

Useful Links

https://saynotoscoutmoor2.org.uk/

https://rmnf.org.uk

https://publicaccess.rossendale.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SZ0U9GND05V00&activeTab=summary

https://publicaccess.rochdale.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SYTLVNNB01000&activeTab=summary

Daily Mail Article

Families living in the shadow of ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’ say they are plagued by urban explorers and fly-tippers taking advantage of the asbestos-ridden eyesore, 9^th November 2025, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15269391/Families-Rochdales-Chernobyl-urban-explorers.html