Lancashire Telegraph 18th Feb 2021, RESIDENTS fear nuclear waste is buried beneath land being earmarked for development. Blackburn with Darwen Council has included 94 acres of
countryside on the edge of the borough in its draft local plan as suitable
for employment uses.

But residents and West Pennine Tory councillor Julie
Slater fear nuclear waste was dumped on old mineshafts in the 1950s. The
green belt land between Belthorn and Guide is included in the draft local
plan which runs until 2037 as ideal for business, commercial and
job-creating development. Cllr Slater, Darwen MP Jake Berry, his Hyndburn
Tory colleague Sara Britcliffe want the 94 acres removed from the blueprint
while the nuclear waste concerns are investigated.

Blackburn with Darwen
Council’s growth boss Cllr Phil Riley said preliminary investigations
found no evidence of any atomic material. Cllr Slater said: “The site is
located in a Coal Authority ‘High Risk Area’ and there are a number of
mine shafts along the Grane Road. “In the early 1950s residents believe a
large amount of nuclear waste was dumped into the shafts along the
roadside. “There was no formal and very little informal regulation so it
is unclear as to the exact location, amount and what it contains, but
sources suggest up to 900 tonnes. “It is unclear where the tunnels from
these shafts are but there is a high chance they run into the proposed site
and our fear is the waste could be disturbed when work begins.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/19099926.blackburn-nuclear-waste-fears-development-plans/