Report Dismisses Southall Waterside Health Concerns

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Public Health England says pollutants below levels likely to affect residents

Artist's impression: Southall Waterside Berkeley Homes

There is “not a basis” for Ealing Council to demand the end of works at Southall Waterside following a report calling the health risks “minimal”.

Public Health England [PHE] published its fourth report into the impact of construction work at the 88-acre old former gas works site on the health of the local population. It’s after residents have claimed for years that poor air quality and chemicals being released from the soil are making them seriously ill.

The government body undertook its first risk assessment of the site in 2018, based on air quality monitoring taken from June 1 to September 25. This fourth investigation looks at air quality data from May 10, 2019 to January 6, 2020.

The data analysed was sourced from developer Berkeley Group which is leading the regeneration project with a bid to build 3,750 homes on the land.

The PHE report reads, “The results obtained from the air quality monitoring indicate there is unlikely to be a direct toxicological risk to the health of the nearby population from the levels of VOCs [volatile organic compounds] detected…

“The data provided to PHE by Ealing Council has been compared to available health-based air quality guidelines and standards or assessment levels. Where the concentrations in air are shown to be lower than appropriate health-based standards or guidelines, it may be assessed that the risk to health is minimal.”

The report found the majority of chemicals detected were lower than the poor air quality thresholds, except for benzene, trichloroethylene, trimethylbenzene and isopropyltoluene – which were “intermittently” above the guidelines. Naphthalene levels were regularly found to be above the guideline amount.

According to government guidance, naphthalene is a white, crystalline solid that is flammable and smells strongly of mothballs.

It is not naturally sourced in the environment and its presence is likely to come from workplaces where it is manufactured or used.

While the health effects of the chemical will depend on factors such as the amount and time period of exposure, it is noted that breathing, drinking or swallowing the chemical “can cause nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, diarrhoea, confusion, sweating, fever, fast heart rate, rapid breathing and may lead to convulsions, coma and possibly death.”

Lead campaign group against the Southall Waterside development, Clean Air of Southall and Hayes (CASH), said this is a concern due to the World Health Organisation’s view that there is “no safe level of air pollution”.

But Public Health England said the breaches have stayed below levels likely to cause serious or short-term health effects.

On the public’s concerns over the air quality, the report went on: “It is important to make a distinction between concerns about odour and any toxicological effect from exposure to airborne chemicals. The human nose is very sensitive to odours, and substances that are perceived as odorous are commonly present at levels below which there is a direct toxicological effect.

“Odours can cause nuisance amongst the population, possibly leading to stress and anxiety. Some people may experience symptoms such as nausea, headaches or dizziness, as a reaction to odours even when the substances that cause those smells are themselves not harmful to health.”

The public health bosses also said the concentration of chemicals has continued to decrease since the treatment of soil for toxins was completed in April 2019.

Council leader Julian Bell wrote a letter to CASH after the report’s publication, saying he hoped that the government’s findings will “provide some reassurance” to local residents.

He added: “While the PHE report does show an improving situation, they do recommend that monitoring and mitigation measures remain in place on site.

“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that this remains the case and have received assurances from Berkeley that they will indeed retain all their existing monitoring in place for the foreseeable future on this stage of the development.

“Given the findings of the PHE report, combined with the substantial reduction in the number of complaints regarding odour received by the council, I am afraid that the professional and legal advice we have received remains that there is not a basis to demand a cessation of works on the site.

“This is given that both council and external assessments of the site have concluded that the operator is using Best Practical Means to prevent nuisance as a result of odours, and are therefore operating within the terms of their licence.

“Nevertheless, we will continue to keep this under review and our officers are conducting visits to the site, both in response to any complaints received and on an ad-hoc basis, to check working practices.”

The council has also confirmed it has commissioned consultant Ricardo-AER to develop a low emissions strategy for Southall Waterside, with work expected to be completed by December 2020.

CASH campaigners have said during the pandemic residents have found it particularly difficult to speak to a council officer to complain over the odours, citing one resident who waited 45 minutes to report their concern on the phone.

“We recommended that the council should make online reporting possible but this hasn’t been addressed,” the campaigners said.

Responding to PHE’s report, the group added: “Public Health England detailed significant limitations of the air quality monitoring methodology used and reviewed the site developer’s data rather than commissioning their own air quality monitoring.

“The CASH Campaign calls for independent air quality monitoring, commissioned by Ealing Council, to provide reassurance to the community. We welcome Ealing Council’s discussions with Berkeley Group on this matter and would view the transfer of the responsibility for air quality monitoring from the site developer to Ealing Council as a progressive step.”

Last week the group announced it has formed a coalition with people living near four other gas work sites in London and Brighton to call for an overhaul of clean air rules to address a “public health ticking time bomb”.

The Berkeley Group was contacted for comment.

To read Public Health England’s full report click here.

Anyone experiencing problems at Southall Waterside can call the council on 02088258111.

Anahita Hossein-Pour - Local Democracy Reporter

October 5, 2020