UK Health Security Agency investigating “potential exposure to toxic waste” by residents in Derbyshire street bordering contaminated housing site

Officials at the highest level are now involved in looking into issues raised by residents in Birchwood Lane, Somercotes.

This comes after two residents suffered seizures and stroke-like symptoms which they believe are linked to harmful substances from nearby historic landfills.

Hannah Tomlinson and Stuart Puddick, who live next to each other in Birchwood Lane, both started experiencing extreme poor illness within days of each other.

Mrs Tomlinson and Mr Puddick believe that their severe health concerns are linked to construction workers disrupting the soil, including digging trenches, on the field at the end of their gardens on land known as Nether Farm, where developer Avant Homes is hoping to build 200 houses.

Both Mrs Tomlinson and Mr Puddick have long been aware of the area’s widespread historic use for coal mining but were not fully aware of toxic waste in the former landfills and the related hazards and investigations carried out as part of various housing planning applications.

The UK Health Security Agency is now looking into the possible “toxic waste exposure” and the Coal Authority, which monitors old coal mine workings, is installing a carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide monitoring system in Mrs Tomlinson’s home. Avant Homes says it is working in accordance with all relevant regulations and within required parameters relating to its site and the adjacent land.

Mrs Tomlinson, aged 53, who has lived in Birchwood Lane since 1998, started feeling lethargic and fatigued on March 31 and on April 3 her hands started shaking uncontrollably and she struggled to hold objects.

Later that day she started to lose the ability to speak, including slurring her words.

Her 52-year-old husband, Steve, a programmer, called their local GP at Somercotes Medical Centre and she was given an urgent appointment, with the GP diagnosing a suspected stroke.

Mrs Tomlinson was referred to King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield, and was admitted early in the morning on April 4, with health professionals carrying out a CT scan, lumbar puncture, MRI, X-ray and blood tests.

She was told health professionals were investigating the possibility of a stroke or meningitis but all tests came back negative.

Mrs Tomlinson was kept in hospital for nine days and during that stay, on April 8, she heard about the poor health of her neighbour, Mr Puddick.

She spoke to her doctors about the possibility of potential harmful substances from the neighbouring former hazardous waste tip and showed them a number of names of compounds found on the site.

Mr Tomlinson, claims doctors flagged two, including chromium VI/hexavalent chromium, as being a potential cause of her stroke-like symptoms, and said she would be sent for a toxicology test.

This was referred to the GP, who said this would be arranged shortly, once the substances which were to be tested for could be confirmed.

King’s Mill referred this to Queen’s Hospital in Nottingham, who wanted to see if Mrs Tomlinson’s health improved before carrying out a test.

Mr Tomlinson said his wife’s health was spiralling since she returned home and would likely be taking her back to hospital himself.

Speaking to the LDRS, Mrs Tomlinson said: “My initial reaction was that I felt annoyed. Information about this site has not got out as it should. I am also angry about the effect this might have on my grandchildren. One of them used to live here for a bit.

“What is it going to take for people to realise what is really happening?”

Mr Tomlinson said: “For me it is just anger. They (the developers) still want to build there.

“We had two dogs die in 2018 from cancer, we have talked to neighbours around here and a number of them have had cancer as well, and when you start putting all of this together it is just too many coincidences.”

Mrs Tomlinson has also developed psoriasis on her hands which she suspects may be from the harmful substances in the soil in her garden, leaching from the toxic materials dumped in the historic landfill.

Mr Tomlinson said neighbours had been complaining of regularly headaches over the past two years, since land on the site was churned up to carry out ground investigation tests, including trenches and borehole drilling.

This has now reached a turning point with the new increased level of health harm, he says.

Mrs Tomlinson, who was previously in good health, says her headache symptoms are much worse than a typical migraine and should not be overlooked, comparing it to a sort of brain fog.

Mr Tomlinson said: “There are too many coincidences since they started working on that land and I think people are just blind to it.

“People know the area is full of mines but they don’t realise what happened after the mines were closed.”

Mrs Tomlinson said: “It needs to get out there what is actually happening in those fields, it might not affect us as much but it might affect the people who might live there and our children.”

Mr Tomlinson said: “If I found out it is something they have done to that field which has caused this to happen to Hannah then I will spend all the money I have to fight them, it is not fair on the next generation.

“You just don’t have people living next door to each other with serious illnesses at the same time, within a week of each other, it just doesn’t happen.

“It is when you start joining the dots it just can’t be a coincidence.”

Mrs Tomlinson said: “We are usually private people, we keep ourselves to ourselves and people if they think it is just them won’t be thinking of what could be causing their illness, there is no communication and we are going out of our comfort zone to do this, it has got to be heard.”

The Nether Farm has formed the focal point in recent years of debate over contamination leaching from the historic landfill sites LS01, which appears to be a large mound just off the top of Norman Road, and LS41, off the B600, where Amber Valley Rugby Club is sited.

Ground investigation reports commissioned by housing developers have detailed the large number of harmful substances and chemicals which are present on the site, with a common acceptance from authorities that much of the material dumped into the historic landfills was never registered and was carried out entirely unchecked for decades.

These substances include those which are carcinogenic and can cause serious harm and illness, particularly in confined spaces, with planned houses needing to be built with suspended floors and with filters preventing harmful gases from entering homes.

Mr Puddick, aged 46, an upholsterer, has lived in Birchwood Lane since 1999.

He too has developed psoriasis on his hands from working in the garden.

On April 8, Mr Puddick had a severe seizure and lost control of his speech and motor functions, with an ambulance called in order to carry out tests at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

He had a less severe seizure on April 13, with the hospital listing the incidents as stress-related ailments.

Mr Puddick says he has been aware that the land off Birchwood Lane known as Nether Farm has been touted for housing for decades.

However, he said: “How can they still want to build on it? If it is affecting people’s health it can’t be safe.

“My kids used to call it (the landfill) Teletubby hill because of the way it looks, it is so out of place, but people might not know that.

“I was a bit shocked at first and my fear is for the future generation, my kids and their kids and grandkids.

“Our children and their children could be playing on that land and we could be putting them into a dangerous environment. It makes me want to pack up and leave.

“If the damage is done then there is nothing I can do about it but we need to make people aware.

“If it is that nasty then I don’t want my kids or grandkids playing on it, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

“I’d like to see a proper assessment of the site and we need more assurance.”

The Somercotes neighbours say more awareness needs to be raised over the issues and that much more communication is required between neighbours and from elected representatives over the problem sites.

A UKHSA spokesperson said: “The UK Health Security Agency has been made aware today (April 20) of a number of residents in Somercotes contacting the local council regarding potential exposure to toxic waste bordering their properties. We are currently approaching partner organisations to gather more information.’’

The Coal Authority was approached for comment but has not provided a statement as of this article’s publication.

A staff member of the authority, who was setting up a monitoring system when the LDRS visited Mrs Tomlinson said they suspected the issue was not related to mine gases and that they could only test for carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and could not carry out soil sampling.

An Avant Homes spokesperson said: “We have previously carried out site investigation works to inform our planning application.

“These were done in accordance with all relevant regulations and within required parameters relating to both our site and any adjacent land.

“At present, our planning permission is still pending. If it is granted, all works will be done in accordance with any planning conditions.”

A spokesperson for Amber Valley Borough Council said: “The council takes the health of those in its borough very seriously.

“We were only made aware of these cases when a journalist contacted us for this story, and no official complaints have been made to the council.

“The two development sites between Birchwood Lane and the B600 are outline applications only.

“Given there are no reserved matters approved for either site, no construction works are permitted to commence at this time.

“The council is aware that on the Stanley Street site, some initial ground investigation works are being undertaken, which are required to meet the conditions that were imposed by the outline planning permission.

“It is likely that this will be the reason for any machinery being observed on site.

“We hope both of these residents are recovering well. We understand that one is undergoing some tests, but currently the results of which have not been provided.”