North Herts council has issued a motion on Hitchin industrial fires in the aftermath of several blazes within the last year.
Proposed by Cllr Jon Clayden, chair of the Hitchin Lib Dems, the motion suggests that the area has been "plagued" by a series of fires, all associated with "metal recycling facilities" toward the north of the town.
He added: "This produced a plume of smoke and steam that was visible across a wide area for much of the day, and affected local residents including children on their way to school."
Fires also occurred in the same area in September 2024, July 2024, February 2024 and December 2023.
In response to these fires, there have been multiple calls for action in the press from Hitchin and Ickleford councillors, and the Hitchin MP, across political parties and over several months.
The MP Alistair Strathern called the situation "unacceptable" in the wake of the Wallace Way fire.
Unfortunately, the Cllr highlighted that there had been "no intervention" from the Environment Agency despite "increasing urgency".
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Resident's health was cited as the main "risk of harm" due to the "significant air pollution" which has been produced, especially due to the "repeat exposure."
It was suggested that pollution may also "threaten precious chalk streams" in the area.
"The council reiterates the importance of recycling to a sustainable North Herts, but clarifies unambiguously that this must not be at the expense of residents’ long-term health," the Cllr added.
Within the motion, the council resolves to take the following actions:
- Instruct the Leader of the Council and the Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health to write promptly to the Environment Agency, to express North Herts Council’s serious concerns about the safety of recycling sites on the Hitchin industrial estate, and request that their operators’ licences be reviewed urgently.
- Work proactively to instigate a system of air quality monitoring in the residential areas closest to the industrial estate.
- Finally, further instruct the Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health to report back to Council within six months with details of any action that has been taken by the competent authorities in the intervening period to monitor pollution and mitigate the risks of future fires.
The council expresses gratitude to the efforts of Herts Fire and Rescue Service in responding to, containing and extinguishing these fires each time they occur, and investigating their causes.
But also noted that investigations have not led to "meaningful reduction" in the recent frequency of these potentially harmful fires.
Investigators from Herts County Council were "unable to determine" the cause of the most recent blaze.
The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.
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