Claimants eye legal action against developer and possibly council over former gasworks site

A residential developer has said it will “vigorously oppose” an attempt at crowdfunded legal action against a project in west London.

Clean Air for Southall and Hayes (CASH) has so far raised £2,017 towards its target of £25,000 through its crowdfunding page.

It hopes to instruct specialist environmental lawyers to pursue a public nuisance claim against Berkeley Group over the Southall Gasworks site, which the developer has renamed Southall Waterside.

The group said both the London Borough of Ealing and the Environment Agency could be the subjects of legal action for failing to take enforcement action against Berkeley.

CASH said residents were experiencing an unacceptable level of air pollution, as a result of soil excavation and remediation at the site with many experiencing coughing, nausea, headaches, asthma, nasal, throat and eye irritation which they believed was linked to a pungent petrol or tar-like odour emanating from the site.  

It said the former gasworks was known to contain benzene and naphthalene.  

A Berkeley spokesperson said: “Berkeley has completed its soil remediation works, which were undertaken in accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements. All work has been closely monitored and approved by the authorities, including the London Borough of Ealing and the Environment Agency. Any legal challenge will be vigorously opposed.”

Berkeley plans to build 3,750 new homes  on the 45 hectares site.

Mark Smulian

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