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Some of the protesters that went to the site a week after the trees were felled. These are local people who have lived near or worked at the asbestos factory. As children they played by the Hessian bales of asbestos at the nearby railhead and played on the open tips around Harridge mill. Many had relatives who had worked at the mill and have since suffered from asbestos related illness or have died.

A former TBA Health and Safety Officer was present. He said that the area where the trees had been felled contained a pit head that TBA was licensed to use to dispose of industrial waste. He suggested that over the 20 years or so that it was used a waste repository - hundreds of tonnnes went into it. TBA had a policy of monitoring ground water for asbestos fibre content. He described the felling of trees as "lunacy" and that nobody during T&N days would have ever imagined that somebody would start chopping trees down around the site.

The 2 metre+ security mesh fencing remains around much of the site (about a kilometer of it) It has signs on it stating "danger! Keep out!" An MMC/Rathbone Jersey spokesperson has also stated that the fencing has been erected "to protect the trees" - from who?!

This is the Woodland Road Site. Where the trees are at the back of this picture is the site of the old Harridge Mill. Asbestos was slid down a large concrete shute from the railway sidings into the old factory. In the midground used to be a row of cottages until the 1960's.

This area of trees was felled on Saturday 15th May. People from the houses just behind have said they heard chainsaws going at dawn (4.30am!) They were in full swing by 8am. Dozens of forestry workers were on site that weekend. Former TBA workers warned the contractor that asbestos may have been dumped on the site. This stopped work for 5 minutes - the contractor was then 'reassured' that the site was clear. The felling contractor told local residents that he now knows what to look for in soil potentially contaminated with asbestos!

On Monday 17th May all felling work was stopped at the request of Rochdale Council. On May 18th a forestry Commission officer visited the site an informed the forestry contractor that felling had been done without a licence. (The contractor - who has been in business for 15 years and is used extensively by Rochdale Council, said he was unaware of the law regarding a felling licence on for work on such a site!)

By 20th May a provisional Tree Preservation Order was in place for the whole of the woodland surrounding the TBA site. I had been warned via the forestry contractor that if such legal obstacles were put in way of the developer, then the developer would "throw tens of thousands of pounds to overturn any orders- then chop everything down". Such threats and bullying are chilling when considering a site that may be contaminated with such deadly and invisible contamination.

The area in the photograph covers more than a football pitch. Hundreds of broadleaf trees were destroyed. This was nesting time. Crows spent days on the site. As these are meat eaters, we presume that they were picking at eggs and chicks and other small mammals.

Federal Mogul.

One matter to note: The managers of Federal Mogul appear to be just as shocked as local residents about the way in which the developer - MMC Developments Ltd/Rathbone Jersey Ltd have acted. Federal Mogul and other associated companies are now tenants on their old site (for just how long, nobody knows.) It could be a few months or a few years. I understand the lease runs out in 2007).

The felling of trees next to the Federal Mogul signs wasn't done with their approval. Still, for local residents, it is still is another insult in the story of how the site has been used.

It doesn't bode well for the future - actions speak louder than words. If the developer will do that to the woodland what attitude could he have to a site with an invisible menace - that could only show itself long after a building company and offshore corporation could have disappeared?