Councillor calls for area to be designated as Health Vulnerable Zone status

A councillor is calling for an area around part of Thornton to be given special environmental protection.

Residents in the north part of Thornton are faced with a number of issues resulting from industrial developments which carry a potential impact on their health and wellbeing.

Councillor Victoria Wells says Wyre’s health profile reveals significant inequalities and a cluster of environmentally intensive sites along the Fleetwood–Thornton ‘industrial corridor’, including the Jameson Road Landfill
and the Hillhouse/AGC chemical complex currently subject to Environment Agency investigations into PFAS/PFOA chemical contamination.

She is calling for Wyre Council to formally adopt a Health Vulnerability Zone (HVZ) framework within its Local Plan to cover the area.

As well as the  Jameson Road landfill and POAF concerns linked to industrial activity at the Hillhouse site in Thornton,  there is the  sewage treatment plant runs by United Utilities at Fleetwood,  two gas peaking plants (fast-starting power stations) on the Hillhouse site and Thornton Waste Treatment Plant in the area, run by Lancashire Renewables.

Another concern is the proposal for a new waste incinerator which was approved at Lancashire County Council two months ago, in close proximity to residential housing.

Health Vulnerable Zone status

Cllr Wells, Labour member for Bourne ward in Thornton, is calling for Wyre Council to designate the area as a Health Vulnerable Zone (HVZ) in the new Local Plan.

She says the accumulation of so many industrial activities that carried potential environmental impact, as a whole, makes the area a special case.

Health Vulnerable Zones are geographical areas with high pollution risks (like industrial zones) which would require extra attention for air quality and other types of monitoring.

Cllr Wells said: “There needs to be recognition that there is an industrial corridor in the area which has the potential to impact on the environment and people’s health.

“It has already been established that the number of people in the area with  respiratory health issues is bigger than the UK average.

“If there are factors which could exacerbate that, then I think it is essential that the establishment of a Health Vulnerable Zone for this area is factored into Wyre’s new Local Plan.”

Cllr Wells said:  “Adopting HVZs and mandatory Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) will enable Wyre Council to proactively manage cumulative industrial and environmental health risks.

“It would position Wyre as a national leader in integrating health equity into planning, while providing clear guidance for responsible developers and reassurance for residents affected by long-term industrial pressures.”