Margot James calls for tight controls on Caparo Technologies

At a meeting of the Caparo Action Group environmental officers from Dudley Council heard once again from long suffering residents living close to the Caparo.

Residents complained of health problems, shortage of breath, sore throat caused by the fumes emitted from the foundry. Sand emissions had worsened and the banging noise persists from six in the morning. There was a mood of despondency among residents who feel they have banged their head against a brick wall for many years.

Margot James, Conservative Candidate for Stourbridge, attended the meeting and pointed out that the problems would only affect greater numbers of people in the future. A doctor’s surgery has applied for planning permission to convert the Rastrick Foundry into a new health centre for more than twenty thousand people. Steve Sharples, co-ordinator of the Action Group, added that a new residential development is to be built within yards of Caparo’s plant.

Margot reported resident concerns to the management of Caparo the next day at a meeting with site director Graham Harris and MD Kevin Beaton. Margot said “Caparo have taken action to reduce their emissions but clearly more needs to be done, I was very encouraged to learn about some of the investments in improved emissions monitoring and control that are about to come on stream to significantly reduce sand emissions. They are also developing a new system of straightening their castings (which causes most of the noise) and it is hoped this will reduce noise in the early hours. We will know within the next six to eight weeks whether the new straightening system will be effective in reducing noise”.

Margot is also very concerned about rising unemployment, a consequence of the recession that has hit Stourbridge particularly hard. Currently Caparo employs just over 35 people, seventeen of whom live in the borough of Dudley including five residents of Stourbridge. Caparo are winning contracts and have a real chance of doubling their business over the next couple of years. This could mean the creation of between 50 and 70 new jobs. Margot asked the Caparo Directors to make every possible effort to ensure that Stourbridge residents benefited from these new job opportunities when they become available; and received a commitment from management that every such effort would be made to employ local people.

Margot concluded “The firm line being taken by Dudley Council, the efforts of the Caparo Action Group and the willingness of Caparo to work with residents and invest in best practice to reduce their impact on the environment, should mean that this long running problem is heading for a satisfactory conclusion. It is incumbent on us all to work towards this end so that long suffering residents can enjoy a better quality of life, so we can take advantage of the new job opportunities and take pride in having a world leader in aluminium processing in our town”.

Photo: (Top) Margot James and local residents outside Caparo and (below) on her visit to Caparo, Margot views the Torque Tube manufactured by Caparo for the latest Mercedes AMG launched this month.