Two allotment sites in Thornton-Cleveleys have been formally determined as Contaminated Land at a meeting of Wyre's Full Council.
The authority launched an investigation under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act in 2024 to consider whether contamination had occurred from the former ICI site, now operated by AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd, at Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone.
The investigation is being carried out on the council’s behalf by the Environment Agency.
Shallow soil samples taken from Occupation Road and Sandringham Avenue allotments by expert scientists were found to contain levels of the chemical PFOA above the interim Category 4 Screening Level for produce grown in an allotment setting. This is the threshold used to help assess whether land is suitable for its current use.
The information formed part of a detailed risk assessment which led the Environment Agency to confirm each location met the criteria for classification as contaminated land under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
A report on the issue was considered by members of Wyre's Full Council at The Civic Centre in Poulton-Le-Fylde on Thursday, with councillors voting to formally determine the allotments as Contaminated Land.
Working with the Environment Agency, Wyre Council will now follow the strict legal process set out in the legislation towards remediation of the sites so they can be used as allotments once again.
The council must now undertake a liability assessment to identify any persons or organisations that may be legally responsible for the contamination.
Once this is completed, the council is required to begin a consultation with any parties identified as potentially liable for a minimum of three months before considering proposals for voluntary remediation and deciding whether any formal enforcement action is needed.
A spokesperson for Wyre Council said: "This move follows a detailed technical assessment by a number of expert organisations including the Environment Agency, UK Health Security Agency and the Food Standards Agency.
"The decision to determine both sites as contaminated land means we can now move to the next stage in the legal process, which is to assess liability for the contamination and to carry out discussions with the identified party to secure the remediation needed to bring the allotments back into use.
"We understand how important these sites are to the allotment tenants and the wider community and we will continue to keep residents informed as this process moves forward."
Background
Wyre Council launched the investigation in 2024 following information provided by the Environment Agency regarding historic releases of PFOA associated with manufacturing operations on the former ICI works, now operated by AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd, based on part of Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone.
Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are required to follow a statutory, legal process for the identification and remediation of contaminated land. Each different agency or organisation involved in the investigation operates within its own distinct area of expertise.
Further information about the investigation can be found on the multi-agency webpages here: www.wyre.gov.uk/multi-agency