Image supplied by Channel 4
Channel 4 News has uncovered the King’s private estate tried to sell land contaminated with toxic illegal waste in Wigan to the local council.
In January, Channel 4 News revealed the 25,000-ton site, dubbed UK’s “most dangerous illegal waste dump”, was on land largely owned by the Duchy of Lancaster – the King’s extensive private portfolio of properties and estates.
When approached by the programme the Duchy said it had offered to transfer the land to Wigan Council in July last year.
However, correspondence between the council and the Duchy, obtained by Channel 4 News via a Freedom of Information request, to be shown tonight (MON) reveals it actually tried to sell the site to the council at full market price.
Then in February, after the Channel 4 News investigation aired, the Duchy followed up with the Council explicitly offering to transfer the land for free.
The Duchy wrote: “We have discussed the matter with the Duchy Solicitor who has confirmed the Duchy will transfer the property to the Council for nil value and with each party bearing their own costs in the hope that that will assist the Council in dealing with the property in conjunction with its own adjoining land.”
Initially, the council tried to keep the correspondence hidden from the public, rejecting the FOI request due to ‘legal privilege’. Channel 4 News appealed to its Legal, Governance and Election’s Division, eventually the council apologised and provided the documents.
Emails from the Duchy’s solicitors, Farrer & Co, show in addition to the transfer offer, the Duchy attempted to sell the contaminated land at market value to the council.
In July, the Duchy wrote: “… it may be possible to sell the land to you. Any sale would have to be at open market value and the Duchy of Lancaster’s valuers, and our costs would have to be paid as well.”
Wigan Council today (MON) told Channel 4 News it “respectfully declined” the Duchy’s offer.
Member of Parliament for Makerfield, Josh Simons, told Channel News: “My constituents have suffered for years because of this disgusting illegal waste dump, put there by organised criminals. The idea that anyone would profit from this land is disgraceful. The opposite should be true: everyone, no matter who they are, should roll up their sleeves to help solve the problem.”
Last month, Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, told the programme that the Duchy’s plan to hand contaminated land to the local council is “not an acceptable response”. Since then, the government announced it will fund the clean-up of the Wigan site, although this has yet to begin.
A Duchy of Lancaster spokesperson told Channel 4 News: “We continue to work with Wigan Council to try and find an effective resolution to the illegal waste site.”
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