A £500,000 investment in dust abatement equipment is being made by a Penrith firm following complaints by residents.
A. W. Jenkinson Forest Products has been granted permission to install the state-of-the-art equipment at its Haweswater Road depot on the Penrith industrial estate.
Th application was a result of discussions which had taken place with Westmorland and Furness Council’s environmental health officer regarding dust emissions following complaints and an abatement notice.
Dust arises from their wood shaving drying operation — and the dust set to be collected is anticipated to be in the region of 45kg per day.
A. W. Jenkinson, which employs 15 production staff on the site, uses it for the processing, packaging and storing of forestry products.
One of the areas of Penrith which has been particularly affected over the past two years or more has been Castletown.
In addition, some people on the Greystoke Park estate have claimed it is making their health worse, especially for young children with asthma, if the wind is blowing in that direction.
Dan Harding, who set up an online Castletown Wood Dust Campaign, said the area had been getting “caked” by a very fine wood dust.
“It cakes your garden. It cakes your car. It gets on to your house windows, it gets inside the house,” said Dan, who has lived in around Castletown all his life.
He said he started the online group after deciding “enough is enough”.
News that dust abatement equipment was now going to installed was welcomed by Dan, who has his fingers crossed that it works. “The proof is going to be in the pudding, as it were,” he said.
The proposal involves the installation of two air filter units and dust filters which will extract particles from the drying air which, at present, is vented into the atmosphere.
Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith and Solway, said: “I have had a number of complaints from constituents about the dust issues in Penrith and I was alarmed by footage I have been sent of it.
“I have spoken to the regulatory authority — Westmorland and Furness Council — who in turn have liaised with the UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) over the issue.
“A. W. Jenkinson has a plan to put in dust abatement equipment and I am meeting with the company next week to discuss my concerns and to seek reassurance that the new equipment will be in place very soon.
“I am not yet clear if all the issues experienced across Penrith in recent days are related to their business activities in the town.
“If anyone is affected by the dust, please contact my office markus.campbell-savours.mp@parliament.uk or call 01900 233233.”
