This week there has been a major incident at the Weir Road recycling plant in Wimbledon, which neighbours Earlsfield, Wandworth Common and other surrounding areas of Wandsworth.
Beginning on Saturday evening the fire has raged for four days as the London Fire Brigade battled to tackle it. The significant impact of the smoke and fumes has been hitting our local community for an extended period of time.
On Tuesday 10th September, over two days after the peak of the fire and following an air quality inspection the decision was taken to close local schools. A Wandsworth Borough Council spokesperson then confirmed that air quality levels were returning to “advisable levels”. Despite this, schools have subsequently been closed again.
There is much anger from residents due to the apparent lack of communication and action taken by Wandsworth Borough Council to deal with this major incident. Some residents have said they had no contact from the local authority.
Christian, local resident:
“The toxic fumes infiltrated the home. I could not breathe. I could not go outside. I received no advice or support from the council. It was as if it never happened, but I could not breathe, and now I feel sick.”
Local Resident:
“It is tragic that people were inhaling what felt like severely toxic air and were not being heard or kept informed by the authorities.”
Local Resident:
“A thick blanket of what looked like white smoke covered the parts of Earlsfield closest to the site of the fire. The high street was cough-inducing, making it difficult to walk down. I wish the incident had been better communicated to residents, so windows could have been shut, alternate commutes taken, and pets kept somewhere safe.”
A local Conservative Councillor for the area, Cllr. Angela Graham says:
“The council was just too slow to act. Why were schools only closed on Tuesday and residents, teachers and children allowed to breath in this level of smoke for so long. An urgent inquiry by the council must take place.”
Local conservatives on the council are demanding an immediate investigation into the Council’s response.
- What safety measures were put in place?
- What is the health impact on those living locally?
- Why did it take two days for a Gold meeting to be called by the Council?
- Why did the Council take two days to decide to close local schools despite apparent low air quality levels?
- What impact has the fire had on the local environment?
- Can the Council ensure that the run off of water used to put out the fire hasn’t caused an environmental impact in the area and the nearby River Wandle?
