Stuart McMillan MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde has written to Link Housing Association asking for assurances that the Ravenscraig Hospital site is to be made safe for living on – in light of reports of ‘blue water’ coming from taps at two Coatbridge schools built on a former landfill site.
In the letter, the local SNP MSP said ‘transparency regarding the condition of the site at all stages of the development must be paramount’ and asked for ‘sight of Link’s decontamination plan to counteract the toxicity of the site’.
Commenting, Stuart said:
“At the start of the year I met with officials from Link Housing Association, Inverclyde Council and the Housing Minister to discuss the development proposals planned for the Ravenscraig Hospital site. I was confident after these three meetings that plans were in place to prepare the site for housing.
“However, given recent reports from Buchanan and St Ambrose High Schools in Coatbridge – which are built on a former landfill site – where discoloured water has been found coming from the taps and four teachers have been diagnosed with cancer, it’s only right that further questions are asked of Link.
“That is why I’ve asked for sight of Link’s decontamination plan as I want to see for myself what they are proposing to do to ensure the site is free of any toxins that could impact people’s health in the future.
“I’m sure Link themselves would want to avoid a similar situation happening in the future, so it’s only reasonable to expect them to have detailed plans for ensuring the site and planned development is safe to live on.
“I recognise that we cannot say for certain that the ‘blue water’ at the schools is a result of the land they’re built on, and we won’t know the details until the independent review is concluded, but one thing I do know is that I don’t want anyone’s health to be compromised if the two do end up being connected.
“That’s why I’m challenging Link to provide clear cut assurances that the Ravenscraig site will be completely safe to live on by the time the first tenant is ready to move in.”
Stuart McMillan MSP 