7 May
2007.
Jacqui Smith MP calls for power company to reassure local
residents about substation
safety.
Jacqui
Smith MP visited residents in Mason Road following the second sub
station fire in four
months.
Residents had just seen
repair work from the first fire completed.
Gardens had to be repaired, new drains installed and new plant
built. They woke on Saturday morning to be faced
with flames and smoke from the substation once
again.
Jacqui
said
“Residents are rightly concerned that this second fire has
occurred at the Mason Road site. The first one
flooded gardens with foam and oil – some of which still leaches out
of the soil when it rains – residents didn’t want the same thing to
happen again so it made Saturday’s fire a shocking
event. I have asked E.On to meet me to discuss
both incidents. I want them to reassure local
residents that they are running a safe facility and that measures
are in place to deal with incidents properly. At
the moment I am not convinced.”
Jacqui praised local
fire fighters who tackled the blaze saying.
“Thankfully large fires are quite rare but Redditch fire
fighters faced a very difficult, technical situation with
professionalism and more than a little bravery – not once - but
twice in four months. We are lucky to have
them.”
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