Published: Wednesday, 3rd March, 2010 2:32pm

Toxic warning

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By Rosalyn Campbell

A FRESH warning is urging residents to be wary of toxic land - as fears intensify for the future of 300 homes in Renfrewshire.

Households could each face clean-up costs of £35,000 if long-term remediation works are required on land that once featured mine, metal foundry and chemical works - a property firm has claimed.

A £550,000 investigation involving digging boreholes and testing soil was launched by Renfrewshire Council after a black, tar-like substance was found oozing from the ground in the Brediland Road area.

Now property group Landmark Scotland has warned: "If the area is designated as 'contaminated land' within the legal definition, then it will be necessary to determine who will be responsible for the costs of clean-up.

"If the original polluter cannot be found, liability rests with the current owners of the affected properties, unless councils or the government step in."

Around 300 homes - a mixture of private and council properties - have been built where the Sun Iron foundry and then the Brediland Chemical Works in Linwood once stood.

Chartered engineer James Smith claimed that in the 1960s, when building regulations were not as stringent, he saw tonnes of contaminants from mining operations and chemical tar being spread over the area from Atholl Place to Kinnaird Drive and from Erskinefauld Road to the sports centre and playing fields.

He said: "Nothing was cleaned, nothing was disposed of. Houses were built directly on top, I was there and I watched them. All of these contaminants pose a danger."

Tom Burke, editor of Linwood Sucks, added: "The 'black tar like substance' was found first behind the Linstone Sheltered Housing complex and more recently on the Sports Centre approach road.

"The fact that this tar is now exposed on both sides of Brediland Road would suggest there is more."

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "Firms take historic Ordnance Survey maps showing where old industries used to be and check these against modern maps to see if homes have been built on top of the old industrial sites.

"This kind of desk-top research doesn't reveal if the land is polluted or not. Only extensive checks, involving taking soil and water samples, will show what is really under the ground.

"These are exactly the kind of checks that we are proposing to do at Linwood.

"We will be getting in touch with local residents soon to talk about the work we will be doing."