A RESIDENTS group has hit out at Earby firm Uniroyal Global over plasticiser fallout in a housing estate near the plant.

Earby resident Ian Longstaff said that emissions from Uniroyal, which manufactures polymer sheet and coated fabrics, are “out of control”.

Mr Longstaff, who is chairman of the Uniroyal Residents Group, said the plasticiser fallout from the chimney is a “brown oil-like substance that contains a cocktail of chemicals”.

He said that recently 21 cars parked on Waddington, Shuttleworth and Grove Streets near the factory, had been spattered with the plasticiser.

“This stuff eats through car paint; first the lacquer on the surface and then the paint itself,” said Mr Longstaff.

He also said that this fallout from the chimney stack has impacted a nearby playground and play equipment as well as a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA).

He said: “Our position is these emissions are out of control.”

“It mainly happens overnight,” added Mr Longstaff, who said the problem has been ongoing over the last five years.

In a report to the West Craven Area Committee last July, Pendle Council and its Environmental Health team understand that the company have tried to allay residents’ concerns by paying for repairs to their property.

Mr Longstaff said acknowledged residents’ cars had been re-sprayed by the Earby firm.

But he said that other pollution problems had also been reported to Pendle Council, including noise from the extraction system and chimney, which is located 20 metres from his house on Waddington Street.

Mr Longstaff said that noise levels had been measured at as much as 72 decibels, and added that toxic plastic odours, which are acrid and choking, can be smelled all over Earby.

Mr Longstaff said: “There has been a long history of acrid odours in Earby.”

A spokesman for Uniroyal Global said: “Uniroyal Global has always given the highest priority to our responsibility to the environment and consideration to our neighbours.

“We have been working closely with the council, environmental health and the residents working group and we have held regular meetings with all parties to discuss the improvement activities we are making.

“To date we have invested over £300,000 to improve our environmental impact and have committed a further £1.6 million this year on new technology which will be completed later this year.”