After-effects still linger from Wimbledon waste plant smoke
By Charlotte Lilywhite, Local Democracy Reporter
South London residents ‘still choking’ on smoke days after a fire started at a waste plant claim they were left in the dark about the incident.
Firefighters rushed to Reston Waste Management in Weir Road, Wimbledon, after a large pile of rubbish in a single-storey building caught alight on Saturday night.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said about 40 firefighters were still tackling the ‘complex’ blaze, which produced large quantities of smoke, yesterday.
The direction of the wind meant the fumes were mainly blown across the Merton border into Earlsfield and other areas in Wandsworth, which forced several schools to close.
Wandsworth council said the smoke has now cleared, with the fire brigade providing ‘necessary reassurance’ that the blaze is unlikely to reignite. The latest tests show air quality in the area has returned to ‘acceptable levels’.
But Earlsfield residents living near the plant complain they had not been given sufficient information about the fumes by the council. Resident Glyn Goodwin, 64, who has asthma, described the ‘lack of information’ from the authority as ‘disappointing’.
He said: “There’s no information coming out, so people simply don’t know. You can obviously smell it, feel it, choke on it, my clothes still stink of smoke.”
He added: “As the dangers of air pollution have become ever clearer, you want to know about this stuff really. I’m feeling it – I’m being choked, I’ve noticed myself coughing.
“No one wants to evacuate their home, but you’re thinking, OK this has been going on for days, at what point should the council have actually stepped in?”
Nick Seymour, 70, also said the council had failed to provide residents with enough information on the blaze. He said: “They’re normally good about those things but on this, absolutely nothing.”
A Reston spokesman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience to our neighbours caused by smoke from the fire. However, thankfully this has now dispersed. A full investigation into the cause of the incident will now follow.”
Wandsworth council advised schools can reopen tomorrow and that buildings should be kept ventilated. It has published information on the effects of exposure to smoke on its website.
A council spokesman said: “Residents who need to remain in areas affected by smoke for extended periods of time should stay indoors, keep their doors and windows closed as much as possible and limit the amount of time spent outdoors.”
Pictured top: Smoke from the fire at Reston Waste Management (Picture: Glyn Goodwin)