What's really happening at Rochdale's asbestos-riddled 'Chernobyl' site?

Locals fond of taking the scenic route along Rochdale’s River Spodden are used to having their picturesque view being temporarily spoiled.

Locals fond of taking the scenic route along Rochdale’s River Spodden are used to having their picturesque view being temporarily spoiled.

An eerie collection of buildings on the opposite side of the river have sat abandoned for decades. The massive 75 acre site is crumbling, becoming more and more dilapidated as the years roll on.

But something has been moving inside what locals once referred to a ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’.

The old Turner Brothers factory, off Spod Road, is now a dilapidated ruin. But has a long history of industrial use dating back to the 19th Century.

Spodden Park once employed thousands on the edge of Rochdale town centre, but it hasn’t been in operation since manufacturing was stopped in the 1990s.

Before then, it was the world’s largest asbestos factory.

To the surprise of many, signs of movement on the site have been on display in recent weeks. Contractors have been brought in to deal with ‘invasive plant species’, according to site owners Spodden Park Ltd.

It is the first time in years locals have seen any action on the site, but the lack of knowledge over what is happening has led to fears among those nearby.

And given the site is thought to be contaminated due to the huge amount of asbestos manufactured there, concern is to be expected.

The creation of asbestos products began on the site in 1879, and by 1970 the factory was estimated to have an annual output of around 2,250,000 yards of cloth and 5,500,000 miles of yarn – all made from asbestos.

Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring, fibrous minerals that were once widely used in various products due to their resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals. The substance is now known to be a carcinogen, and exposure to asbestos fibres can lead to serious health problems, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Mick Coates lives just a stone’s throw away from the old factory. He has been campaigning to turn the area into a country park for years.

“I’m concerned it’s not being looked after properly,” Mick told the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously. “There was asbestos on there so it’s a worry.

“The history it has, the danger it poses in the long term could only hit 40 years from now with it being asbestos. It’s buried all over so there is no knowledge about what areas are safe or not locally.

“Safety concerns means we’re against housing there generally. But as the building degrades, asbestos could get exposed.

“A photographer goes taking pictures of wildlife down there, we’ve seen people on site who are pinching metal, lighting fires etc.”

People known as ‘urban explorers’ who film themselves going into abandoned buildings and dangerous spots have also been known to visit the site.

Sharing their experiences on YouTube and other online platforms, they showcase the vast interior and exterior of the buildings. Inside the buildings there is rubble as well as collapsed ceilings and walls.

This has sparked concerns for locals who live near to the industrial site, who believe it could start to pose a risk to health and safety as more of the buildings become exposed to the elements.

But in recent weeks a website has been set up by Spodden Park Ltd to try and engage with local residents about the future plans for the site. It has a contact form included which vows to keep those who sign up informed of their plans in future months and years.

The message on the one-page website read: “The site of the former Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) factory has a complex history, and we know how important it is to handle its future with openness and responsibility.

“Safely remediating the site is very important to us, and any future plans will be shaped around protecting the wellbeing of the existing community.

“In the months ahead, we’ll be sharing more details and inviting your feedback, so that local voices shape what comes next.”

This is the first meaningful step towards redevelopment of the site Rochdalians have seen since previous site owners ESG Trading Limited took control of the site in 2021, promising a ‘safe strategy to decontaminate, demolish and remediate the land’. But they went into liquidation in 2023 – meaning any plans they had went flowing down the River Spodden.

Spodden Park Ltd took over the land for £840,000, according to HM Land Registry.

Sources from within Rochdale Council believe the future redevelopment would include hundreds of new houses as well as some form of green space. But nothing has been confirmed by Spodden Park Ltd.

There has been long periods of uncertainty surrounding ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’, starting back in 2004 when controversial plans to build 650 homes, a children’s daycare centre and a business park on the land, were tabled. The proposals were eventually thrown out by Rochdale council in 2011.

The next hope of development came through ESG in 2021 – which ended in disappointment.

Planning permission was refused after MMC Estates failed to carry out a £500,000 investigation into contamination on the site. A few years later, in 2014, a fire ravaged a section of the factory buildings.

“Since the takeover back in 2021 we’ve had all these promises and nothing has happened,” Mick added. “Someone is dealing with the trees and the weeds we can see but nothing major is happening in terms of developments.”

Now Spodden Park Ltd are next in line to put forward their vision for the future of what is a hotly anticipated project. Before any building work could start, they would need to remediate the land and be granted planning permission by the local authority.

A spokesperson for Spodden Park Ltd said: “The redevelopment of the former factory site is what’s required to make this land safe again and bring it back into use for the benefit of existing and future residents.

“As such, the time is being taken currently to understand what is viable, undergoing multiple ecological and topographical surveys.

“Contractors are also on site undertaking treatment of invasive plant species.

“Due to these ongoing works, we’re unable to provide any further details at this stage, but anticipate being in a position to share more over the next month or so.”