Pit residents' group dismayed by 'vocal' label

A residents' group concerned about the impact of a former brickworks site said it was "dismayed" at being labelled "vocal and persistent" at a meeting of officials.

Saxon Pit in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, processes incinerator bottom ash (IBA), and neighbours have spoken of hosing down cars and window sills because of dust they believe has been coming from there.

Minutes from meetings of council and environmental officials include one where the SaxonGate residents' group were labelled "sometimes misinformed or speculative".

Cambridgeshire County Council said the comments were part of a wider discussion and "not intended to dismiss or undermine the contributions of any individual or group".

A public health report, published earlier this year, said some residents were "specifically worried about the processing of IBA which they consider to be hazardous".

It found the regulatory system was "not always joined up", levels of heavy metals in the nearby King's Dyke exceeded drinking water standards, and air quality was not being monitored on the boundary.

Through the Freedom of Information Act, the BBC has obtained minutes of meetings between councils, the Environment Agency, the UK Health Security Agency and the Department for Health and Social Care prior to the public health report being published.

In July, the minutes said: "The SaxonGate residents' group has been vocal and persistent in raising concerns", and that they were "active on social media; sometimes misinformed or speculative".

The group said it was "dismayed" by this characterisation.

"These are serious assertions, yet no evidence is offered to support them.

"SaxonGate evidences every statement it makes and is careful to distinguish fact from opinion.

"Opinion recorded as fact in private becomes the lens through which every future submission from residents is read. That prejudices fair treatment and corrodes trust."

It added: "Residents' groups exist to raise concerns on behalf of their community, and we have no plans to become inactive. We are proud of our record of accuracy and fair dealing."

The county council said the comments were made in the first multi-agency meeting and that it "values engagement from residents and community groups and the important role they play in highlighting local issues".

It said, since the public health report, it had set up an oversight group, including SaxonGate.

"The council has asked residents to take part in a community survey, hoping to better understand residents' experiences of living locally and how different aspects of the local environment may affect health and wellbeing."

"Whether people's experiences of living locally have been positive, negative, or mixed, we want to hear from as many residents as possible. Every response helps build a stronger understanding of local experiences, so we encourage everyone living in and around Saxon Pit to take part."

The survey closes on 23 August.

East Midlands Waste Management (EMW) and Johnsons Aggregates, linked to the site, have yet to respond to requests for comment.

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