BBC NEWS
BBCiCATEGORIES  TV  RADIO  COMMUNICATE  WHERE I LIVE  INDEX   SEARCH 

BBC News UK Edition
 You are in: Wales 
News Front Page
World
UK
England
N Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Politics
Business
Entertainment
Science/Nature
Technology
Health
Education
-------------
Talking Point
-------------
Country Profiles
In Depth
-------------
Programmes
-------------
BBC Sport
News image
BBC Weather
News image
CBBC News
News image
SERVICES
-------------
EDITIONS
Tuesday, 29 October, 2002, 07:17 GMT
'Toxic site' school's health risks warning
Ysgol John Bright school in Llandudno
Ysgol John Bright is to move to a former tip site
A report into controversial plans to build a school on a former toxic dump in a north Wales town claims children's health may be put at risk if it goes ahead.

The investigation was commissioned by parents who are opposed to Conwy Council's plans to relocate Llandudno's Ysgol John Bright to the town's former Maesdu Road tip site.

The proposed site of the new school
The proposed site of the replacement school

The local authority plans a �25m replacement for the campus whose old and crumbling buildings are barely fit for use.

But the chosen site is a former waste dump with buried toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

An expert report commissioned by opponents of the scheme said the new school could be built safely, but it questions whether the plans to remove the toxic materials are up to scratch.

It warns of a significant potential health risks.

However, Conwy council - which has Welsh Assembly Government approval for a public finance initiative to fund the new school by selling the existing site to a supermarket chain - is standing by its plans.

A spokesman said sufficient risk assessments have been carried out.

'Severe reservations'

Assembly Environment Minister Sue Essex is expected to rule this week on an appeal to revoke planning permission for the project.

Local AM Gareth Jones and the Children's Commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke, have both expressed severe reservations about the site.

Internet links:


The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

Links to more Wales stories are at the foot of the page.


E-mail this story to a friend

Links to more Wales stories

© BBC^^ Back to top

News Front Page | World | UK | England | N Ireland | Scotland | Wales |
Politics | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology |
Health | Education | Talking Point | Country Profiles | In Depth |
Programmes