The people living around the old asbestos site in Rochdale

It was once an industrial behemoth that employed thousands of Rochdalians – but many knew little of the danger lurking right under their noses.

It was once an industrial behemoth that employed thousands of Rochdalians, but many knew little of the danger lurking right under their noses.

The derelict ruin at the side of the River Spodden was once the home of Turner Brothers factories, which has been abandoned since its closure amid the global asbestos scandal decades ago. In it’s heyday, it employed thousands of people in Rochdale.

The massive 75 acre site is crumbling, becoming more and more dilapidated as the years roll on – earning its nickname ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’.

People known as ‘urban explorers’, who film themselves going into abandoned buildings and dangerous spots, have visited the site – showcasing the rubble and collapsed interior of the vast industrial complex on YouTube.

The eerie presence of the complex is only exacerbated by its history in asbestos manufacturing until the 1990s.

The creation of asbestos products began on the site in 1879, and by 1970 the factory was estimated to have an annual output of around 2,250,000 yards of cloth and 5,500,000 miles of yarn – all made from asbestos.

Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring, fibrous minerals that were once widely used in various products due to their resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals. The substance is now known to be a carcinogen, and exposure to asbestos fibres can lead to serious health problems, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Now the site owners, Spodden Park Ltd, are wanting to develop the area. There are no official proposals lodged yet, but they have vowed to engage with locals on the future development plans.

The site off Spod Road has long been eyed up for housing, but nothing has ever materialised. Locally the idea of a new development actually going ahead has been met with scepticism.

When the Local Democracy Reporting Service visited the area, many younger people weren’t even aware of the Turner Brother’s site, hiding behind a mesh of trees and shrubbery off Rooley Moor Road. But the older generation are cursed with knowledge.

John Hainsworth has lived in and around Spotland all his life. He remembers watching the thousands of factory workers trudging down to Turners and back daily, usually covered in white asbestos dust.

John and Denise Hainsworth, who live on Churchill Street opposite the Turner Brothers factory in Rochdale

Denise, John’s wife, described the area like a winter wonderland in its heyday because of the sheer abundance of the deadly white dust. The married couple described the dilapidated site as an eyesore now, which is becoming more and more dangerous – referencing two fires there in the last decade.

“It is a ticking timebomb,” John told the LDRS. “I remember when I was a child we used to walk from around here, through Turners to St Wilfred’s School.

“There were about six of us there used to be but two of the lads have died with asbestos related illnesses, but none of us worked there. I’m worried because it’s there.

“The dust used to be hanging off the trees, we used to call it winter wonderland.

“There was a fire in 2015 and another a couple of years ago but nothing has happened with it since. My worry is people disturbing the asbestos because there are mine shafts there that they put dust down – if they start disturbing, what will come up?

“I think the best idea is to make it safe and make use of it. Playing fields or something like that, I wouldn’t risk housing.

“We’ve got to do something because it’s collapsing as you can see.”

The 71-year-old recalled how the factory meant the surrounding neighbourhood was ‘buzzing’ with workers and the local businesses and chippy shops doing ‘a roaring trade’. He feels a lot of developers come in, see the job required for remediation of the land, then move on because it would cost too much.

Denise chipped in: “I don’t think the workers realised how much danger they were in at the time. If they disturb it, it’s a worry.

“Some houses around Healey were told they couldn’t grow fruit or vegetables to eat, because the asbestos is in the ground that could come through.

“We’re pensioners but we look after the grandson, so he comes here – which is a worry.

“It used to be a nice place to walk through because the risk never dawned on us.”

The pair would have a clear view of the Turner Brothers factory from Churchill Street if the foliage wasn’t blocking the path. That coverage is probably for the best, as the Hainsworths bemoaned the level of littering and fly-tipping evident around the site – which they also wanted to see dealt with by the new site owners.

What is clear amongst many residents is that they are all for developing the site, but the clear up of the asbestos is the priority.

Kevin Barber, 89, who worked as security at the Turner Brothers factory in Rochdale for five years

Just a few doors down lives Kevin Barber, taking a break from tending to his greenhouse, the former security guard at Turners shared his thoughts.

“There has always been rumours that there were going to be houses or a park,” the 89-year-old said. “I was concerned about the asbestos at first, but not so much now because there isn’t any in the air now.

“I would like to see someone profit from the space, so flats or something like that. It’s what damage the asbestos has actually done to the area itself that worries me.”

Kevin went on to say how he would like to see an investigation into the health implications the asbestos factory has had locally.

Ian Lewis, another Churchill Street resident, worked at Turners for 38 years – he is keen on development, including housing. His only caveat with that is the asbestos can’t get up into the air like it was in the past.

Ian Lewis, 83, who worked at Turner Brothers in Rochdale for 38 years

“I worked there for 38 years and worked in asbestos,” the 83-year-old said. “It’s an eyesore to be quite honest and it needs building on.

“I have no objections to any sort of development as long as the asbestos is carefully dealt with or covered up. It’s only if it gets in the air that it’s a problem.

“I think the cost has been holding back the project, because it’s going to cost a lot of money to clear the asbestos off the site and find it all. They’ve already built three estates behind the site.

“I don’t think building the homes is the issue, it just needs the asbestos to be dealt with properly.

“I’m not bothered what they do with it, but it’s an eyesore so the sooner they deal with it the better.”

Sources from within Rochdale council believe the future redevelopment would include hundreds of new houses as well as some form of green space. But nothing has been confirmed by Spodden Park Ltd.

There have been long periods of uncertainty surrounding ‘Rochdale’s Chernobyl’, starting back in 2004 when controversial plans to build 650 homes, a children’s daycare centre and a business park on the land, were tabled. The proposals were eventually thrown out by Rochdale council in 2011.

The next hope of development came through ESG in 2021 – which ended in disappointment.

Planning permission was refused after MMC Estates failed to carry out a £500,000 investigation into contamination on the site. A few years later, in 2014, a fire ravaged a section of the factory buildings.

Now Spodden Park Ltd are next in line to put forward their vision for the future of what is a hotly anticipated project. Before any building work could start, they would need to remediate the land and be granted planning permission by Rochdale Borough Council.

Mick Coates, who has been campaigning against housing on the site for years, said: “There is a lot of cynicism in the area because there was a lot of talk in the past, but nothing happened.

“What it needs is people to talk about it. They need to be open and honest about what is going on, so set up and meet and get people together.

“I think the best option is a new country park. That would give respect to all the people affected by this asbestos scandal.”

When asked if he would be for housing, if it was safe to do so, Mick added: “We’re not in a perfect world, so we don’t know. I think what is needed is communication and an open, honest discussion.”

Spodden Park Ltd are open to doing just this, with plans to run public consultations in the coming months. Contractors have also been brought in to deal with ‘invasive plant species’ Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed as well as fix up fencing.

Spodden Park Ltd took over the land for £840,000, according to HM Land Registry.

An update from Spodden Park Ltd, issued last month, read: “We acknowledge the concerns being raised regarding access and we have been taking steps to better secure the site. These have included numerous repairs to the perimeter fence and the perimeter footpath, including the sealing up of an open manhole in the path.

“We are continuing to engage with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the site, and we are visiting the site weekly to maintain and improve the site boundary.

“We want to safely remediate the site. This is a complex task, requiring careful planning and preparation. Our contractors have been very busy over the past few months undertaking multiple surveys, which are allowing us to progress with our next steps.

“We are planning to host a public consultation later this year, where we will present information on the proposed plans and ask for your feedback.”