Landowner Denies Permission for Temporary Fire Solution at Rainham Site
The owner of a former illegal landfill site in east London, known for recurring fires, has refused permission for the local council to implement a temporary solution to the problem.
Fires at Arnolds Field in Launders Lane, Rainham, have troubled residents for several years. Havering Council expressed its intention to carry out remedial work before the summer season.
The proposed temporary measure, aimed at the site nicknamed the Rainham Volcano, involved applying a cement polymer covering (CPC) to hotspots to contain the fires.
However, the landowner, Jerry O'Donovan of DMC Services (Essex), withheld consent for the council to administer the CPC. Representatives for O'Donovan have contended that certain works require planning permission or additional environmental assessments.
Environmental consultancy Icon, engaged by the landowner, stated that the council had not provided the necessary legal or technical justification for the proposed works.
Icon added that O'Donovan was open to collaboration with Havering Council, but only if the council could demonstrate a clear and lawful basis for the intended actions.
Landowner's Position and Council's Response
Last month, O'Donovan told the BBC that he had attempted for seven years to finance a site clean-up by developing part of the land, but claimed Havering Council showed "no appetite" for his proposal.
O'Donovan, who is not responsible for the original waste dumping, also noted he was not invited to the council meeting in January when the CPC application was approved.
In contrast, Havering Council stated that O'Donovan was consulted prior to the public cabinet meeting and that his views were incorporated into the report.
Gillian Ford, deputy leader of Havering Council, expressed significant disappointment over the situation and indicated that legal action against the landowner was the council's only remaining option to resolve the Launders Lane issue.
"We put forward a practical, temporary solution to help contain the fires this summer and give them time to develop a permanent, long-term solution. We even offered to pay for it.
And despite this, he's continued to drag his feet at every step of the way and at the eleventh hour has now not given permission for the council to step in to provide a temporary solution to the fires."
O'Donovan had expressed concerns in February that the polymer seal might not extinguish deep-seated fires and could delay ecological surveys necessary for his planning application and site remediation.
Ford responded to this refusal by stating it sent a clear message to the Rainham community:
"[O'Donovan] holds no regard for the health and wellbeing of local residents and only cares about what's in his best interests and his own personal gain."
Council Seeks Government Support and Landowner Offers Alternative
Havering Council announced it would continue to seek funding and support from the government and the Greater London Authority to expedite a legal resolution.
Previously, O'Donovan told Politics London that a permanent solution would be faster and more cost-effective for taxpayers if the council cooperated with him to remove the most problematic material. He offered his machinery and staff at cost price.
"All the money the council has wasted over the last seven years and the £300,000 they are now committing to spending is part of a vanity project," O'Donovan said.
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