Contaminated water continues to flood gardens around Burgy banks

The Burgy Banks have been a controversial site for almost a century in the Islands Brow and Haresfinch areas.

The land is made up of industrial waste from Pilkington's glass-making process and is covered by woodland and undergrowth.

Numerous attempts to develop the site for housing have been knocked back down the years.

But now residents living nearby the Burgies have highlighted to the Star how contaminated water is flooding their gardens.

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Pilkington's former Cowley Hill site, pictured in 2010 from Burgy Banks (Image: Philip Wilkinson)
Following tests of the water around the Burgy Banks last year, St Helens Council, which is involved in an environmental safety capacity, confirmed that there were "higher than expected levels of arsenic and to a lesser extent lead in gardens of a number of properties that back onto Burgy Banks".

Although the Burgies are privately owned land, the council emphasised that it has been working with specialists and partners from the UK Health Safety Agency to address the problems, adding that residents have been kept updated "with regular communications".

However, due to a lack of perceived inaction at the site from landowners, there has been growing unrest from local residents, with some claiming that the flooding is putting their health at risk and their lives on hold.

Water from the banks is said to have flooded into neighbouring gardens for decades (Image: Ric Arnold)

Ric Arnold, one of the residents affected by the flooding, said: "Me and my partner moved into our home on Ewart Road around 12 months ago, but some of our neighbours say that this has been going on for more than twenty years.

"I can't believe that nothing has been done for all this time, and people have agreed that this is the worst it's ever been because of the heavy rainfall this year,

"The gardens are completely uninhabitable and the water, which contains high levels of arsenic and lead, constantly floods in.

"It's holding our life plans up because me and my partner want to start a family, but we can't do that here."

Ric said that the garden is 'completely uninhabitable' due to the flooding (Image: Ric Arnold)
While Ric feels there has been a lack of action from the landowner at the Burgies site, the council stressed that it has been working on behalf of residents to address the long-standing problem.

The council also emphasised that while standing water around Burgy Banks has been found to be contaminated, the local drinking water is not toxic.

In its role as the local environmental health authority, the council has the right to issue a remediation notice to those it considers responsible to address the issue.

Flooding is said to be the 'worst it has ever been' due to the high rainfall (Image: Ric Arnold)
A St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said: “We understand residents’ frustrations as they wait for action to address an issue of contaminated standing water in a number of properties on Ewart Road.

"As this is not council land, the council is acting in its role as an environmental health authority on behalf of residents.

"The council has engaged with specialists who will in the coming weeks conduct further surveys of the affected properties to investigate options that will help improve the current situation

"The council will continue working with those responsible to resolve issues for the residents.

"Throughout this process, from assessment of the land to action starting to address the issue, the council and its partners from UK Health Security Agency have kept residents informed with regular communications.

"From the outset of concerns of contamination, we have given residents clear guidance on the steps to take to protect themselves and their families and pets from the risks and have regularly reminded them of these through a range of interactions from letters, face to face conversations and residents’ drop-in sessions.

"The issues are restricted to a small number of properties who we are in direct contact with and have been throughout this process.”

The water was found to contain levels arsenic and lead (Image: Ric Arnold)
A spokesperson for Pilkington Limited added: “We are aware of residents’ concerns about a site formerly owned by Pilkington and have assisted St Helens Borough Council as part of their work in finding a resolution.

“We sold the land back in 2013 to a company that also took on all responsibilities relating to it, but we will continue to cooperate with ongoing investigations with any relevant parties.”