Pleas to downsize Oldbury factory hit by fire

Residents from Crosswells Road, Hall Street and Trident Drive, in Oldbury, went head-to-head with managing director of Alcohols Limited, Adam Wallis, at a public meeting last night.

More than 100 people packed out the hall at Moat Farm Junior School for the event to give their views in the aftermath of the fire which engulfed the factory last week and also damaged nearby homes and cars.

Homes were evacuated when flames started to take hold at the factory, in Crosswells Road, Langley, on November 26 and families were sent to an emergency centre set up at Moat Farm Junior School before spending the night with relatives or at hotels.

More than 70 firefighters battled the blaze.

Residents said while they had no problems with the gin distillery part of the operation remaining at the site, they called on Mr Wallis to consider relocating part of the business dealing with chemical distribution to another location.

And he told the meeting no option was being discarded at the present time – as no final decision had yet been made on the future of the site and would not be until assessments and talks had been carried out.

Resident Jayne Wilkinson, of Hall Street, near to the factory, said: "Residents have not come here tonight with pitchforks demanding Alcohols Ltd out of the Oldbury community.

"All we are asking is that you consider moving the portion of the business which deals with chemicals to another site. This would pose a far less serious risk.

"We all need to move forward from this and work together.

"Residents need to be kept better informed on what is happening at the factory so they know what to do in the future should the firm continue operating at this site."

Mr Wallis said the factory had been assessed by the Health and Safety Executive as a sub Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) site and they had abided by all of the regulations imposed.

He said chemicals stored at the site were used in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and print packaging industries

Mr Wallis also told the meeting asbestos from the site had been assessed as the white variety which was low risk.

But father-of-two Darren O' Neill, aged 40, who lives directly behind the factory in Vicarage Street, said there were still major concerns.

"My house backs directly onto this site. There is only a six-foot high wooden fence separating my garden from the factory. I have children and they play at the bottom of the garden.

"We want to know if the firm could install a better wall to better protect my property and also to keep residents better informed of what is happening.

"No-one has been around to talk to us following the fire.

"This was a very traumatic event for everyone."

Other residents were concerned about having to claim on their own home insurance policies to fund repairs to their homes which would then cause their premiums to rise.

Resident Tim Pye, 55, of Crosswells Road, said: "Essentially we are being asked to claim on our own insurance for something which was not our fault. How can this be right?" Mr Wallis said a loss adjuster was already in place to discuss matters with residents although he could not say how long it would take to deal with the various individual issues.

"I would again like to apologise for what has happened.

"At present a decision has not been made on what will happen at the factory in the future," he said.

"All I can say is it will not be a decision which we make lightly and we face up to our responsibilities."

Mr Wallis said a worker who suffered burns in the fire had now been discharged from hospital and was expected to make a full recovery.

See also:

• Full devastation of Alcohols inferno is revealed