Ian McCartney MP

At the invitation of Makerfield MP Ian McCartney, Hilary Benn MP - Secretary of State Dept of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs visited the Ince Central Estate today (Fri 8th February) to meet with local residents and view for himself the £9million remediation project which is clearing the estate of a cocktail of contaminants.

The lethal cocktail of chemicals including Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead were identified following site investigations in 2003. A residents’ liaison group was formed and working alongside the council and Ian McCartney MP clean up works started on site in May 2006.

Ian McCartney played a key role in securing government funding for the remediation programme and wanted Mr Benn to see at first hand the work being carried out on the estate as well as meeting with local residents to hear their experience of the clean up which is expected to be completed by January 2010.

Ian said, “I am pleased that Hilary Benn accepted my invitation to visit local residents and see for himself the remediation work."

“It has been a difficult period for local residents. The stress and anxiety that they have suffered when the cocktail of chemicals were found is something that most people will never have to suffer, but they have shown true courage and determination right from the start."

“This has been a major challenge for everybody concerned but by working together the clean up is going well and I am pleased that I have been able to assist residents in securing the biggest remediation programme of its type in the country.”