Gardens hit by poison

Eight gardens in a Shropshire village could have to be dug up after a report confirmed lead and arsenic contamination.

The results of a survey that was conducted by Enviros Environmental Consultants on behalf of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, have just been released. The survey shows that eight homes in Main Road, Pontesbury, near Shrewsbury, have been affected.

This is much fewer homes than originally thought when a large number of Pontesbury villagers were told not to eat home-grown vegetables.

The warning was given because gardens in parts of the village were found to contain high levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium from an old mine works.

The gardens are on the site of a 19th century lead smelting works. The problem came to light when the council carried out a review of previous uses of land within the borough.

At a meeting of Pontesbury Parish Council last night, borough councillor David Sheppard said letters had been sent out to the residents concerned.

He said decontamination now had to take place.

He said: “We have arranged a meeting in the village hall for June 8 for people directly involved. It is not a public meeting. It is so the occupiers can be advised.

“It is obviously a very major problem to be sorted. There’s three possibilities- to concrete the ground over, or to remove two or three feet of the topsoil and have it treated and replace it with good soil or there’s a possibility they can do the work on the site.

“But until we have the meeting with the occupiers, we do not know where we are going. It’s obviously of great concern to these people involved with it.”

He said villagers had raised the point with him that many people had lived long and healthy lives in the houses and not been poisoned.

But Councillor Sheppard said it must be decontaminated and it was important people worked on the project together rather than it happening in “bits and pieces.”

He said: “It’s going to take nine to 12 months before there’s a conclusion brought to it.”