Birmingham Friends of the Earth West Midlands Transport Campaign

PRESS RELEASE

2nd April 2001

April 2nd D D day for the West Midlands as Contractors move onto BNRR route

Construction on the route of the proposed Birmingham Northern Relief Road (1) is due to commence in earnest on Monday 2nd April, despite recent admissions by the Highway Agency that it will fail in its primary goal of reducing congestion on other motorways.. This will go down in local folk lore as D D day as Destruction and Disruption commences on the 27 mile green belt route. Machinery will be descending onto the route from all over the country to start a huge earth moving exercise(2). Not only will there be huge earth workings and the Destruction of valuable countryside but local people along the route will start to live with the Disruption and havoc associated with this project.

Large parts of the route are within the Staffordshire and Warwickshire FMD infected area, footpaths are closed and yet work on this project continues. It is essential that MAFF overseas the work in accordance to its own policies produced on March 20th(3).

Chris Crean of West Midlands FOE said:

Today sees the start of the Destruction of the West Midlands Green Belt in earnest to build a toll motorway even the Highway Agency admit can't halt congestion. Local people will have to live with this Disruption for many years. The full horror of this scheme is coming home to people living in its proximity. In addition we have seen rural tourist businesses as well as farmers suffer as a result of the FMD crisis yet this financially risky construction project has been unaffected. No one has seen the commercially confidential concession agreement surrounding this project. The secrecy in which this project is shrouded continues to cause local suspicion.

Contact Chris Crean: 0121 643 9117

(1) BNRR is planned to be a three lane dual carriageway toll road covering 27 miles of green belt linking the M6 at Cannock Staffordshire with the M6 and M42 near Coleshill Warwickshire.

(2) EARTHWORKS; the project will involve around 9 million cu m of cut and 7.5 million cu m of fill. The surplus sands and gravels are to be used elsewhere on the project. The BNRR follows the existing road corridors of the A5, A38 and A446 for most of its route.

(3) MAFF guidelines on Foot and mouth disease 20 March 2001

Advice for companies carrying out essential maintenance and construction projects on agricultural land where there are susceptible livestock

Access to Agricultural Land with Susceptible Livestock

Construction projects and similar works, which have to be undertaken on, or requiring access across, such land can continue during the foot and mouth outbreak subject to certain conditions. However premises which are under MAFF restrictions can only be entered after consultation with the Divisional Veterinary Manager (DVM). If a premises is under such restriction the owner will have been informed and there will be official notices at entrances. Access to any restricted premises should only be sought for emergency works. If restrictions are imposed on a premises during a project then you must immediately contact the local DVM for advice. It is also possible that Local Authorities have closed off areas to help prevent disease spread. In such cases contact the local Animal Health Section of Trading Standards Department.

Before any land with susceptible livestock (this includes pigs, sheep, cattle, goats and deer) is entered either on foot or by vehicle, the agreement of the land/stock owner must be sought. They may require certain disinfection procedures to be followed.

During access or construction there should be no contact with susceptible livestock. This contact also includes crossing grazing land, tracks and other areas where livestock have been within the last 3 weeks.

The Risk

There is a danger that contaminated material, mud, dung etc. could be taken from one premises to another and cause infection in animals there. You may have brought infection from a previous project to the premises where you are now working or you could take it from the site where you are now working.

It is therefore important that persons and machinery are not brought onto, or taken from, any premises without undergoing effective cleansing and disinfection using a MAFF approved disinfectant. These are described later. When using any disinfectant follow the manufacturers instructions.

Reducing the Risk

Any permanent site should be surrounded by a stock proof fence to prevent access to the site by animals. During the fencing operation there should be no animals present and staff and vehicles must be clean and disinfected onto the site. It is very probable that the site would have had stock on in the previous 3 weeks. This is unavoidable so it makes the cleansing and disinfection of any vehicles or staff leaving the site even more important.

During construction operations staff must stay within the fenced area and not go into any place where stock are kept unless it is essential to do so and the owner of the animals agrees you may do so. If staff have to go outside the fenced area or enter stock areas then they must cleanse and disinfect before doing so. Any foot baths must be kept clean and fresh disinfectant prepared as recommended by the manufacturer.

Do not discard food, it must be bagged and removed from the site to be disposed in proper domestic refuse collections. On no account must stock be able to gain access to it.

Cleansing and disinfection of vehicles, equipment and machinery.

All mud, dung and other matter must be washed off before disinfectant can be applied. Disinfectant is made less effective by the presence of such materials. Particular care must be taken of those parts of the object that are likely to be contaminated, tyres, tracks, underside, excavator buckets etc.

Such cleaning must be done before entry and before leaving a place where livestock are, or may subsequently be, kept. If the vehicles, equipment and machinery are to stay on site for some time then daily cleaning to this standard is not required unless you have to enter livestock areas.

Cleansing and disinfection of persons

Before using disinfectant, all mud, faeces and other material must be washed off as they can make the disinfectant less effective. When boots, waterproof overtrousers and jackets have been cleaned use an approved disinfectant applied either by brush or spray. Other clothing, e.g. overalls, should be washed by machine if soiled with material that may be contaminated.

Contractors and staff with own livestock

If any contractors or staff keep or have contact with livestock outside of work then they must be made aware of the risks. The owner of the premises where they are working should also be advised of the fact as they may not want other stock owners on their premises. A factsheet "How to protect your farm" is available on the website and can be copied if you require. A record of visits to premises with susceptible livestock should be kept by all staff. Advice on approved disinfectants is available on the website or from the local Animal Health Office.