Resident updates regarding the Forest Road industrial fire

Picture of Forest Road fire site

06 October 2023

The site owners have informed the council that demolition works will commence on Monday 9 October 2023. It is anticipated that they will last approximately two months. 

We understand that the contractors will continue to carry out local communications, including a door-drop and leafleting campaign ahead of the works, to ensure that residents in the area are fully informed of activity on the site and any action they need to take. 

The site owners will directly communicate any further updates on the site.


27 June 2023

The owners have employed an expert team to undertake clearance and demolition works at the site of the industrial fire which is anticipated to take up to six weeks to complete.  They have been advised on safety and air quality matters and, checks are in place to monitor the project.  

25 April 2023

The road has been opened following the successful first phase of demolition at the site of the Forest Road fire. Traffic can move in both directions with no restrictions in place. The site is fully handed over to the site owners. 

19 April 2023

Samples of dust and ash were sampled across the site this morning. Any residual asbestos-type material detected was found to be well below levels that would give rise to safety concerns, on or off the site.

A detailed work schedule for stage two of the demolition is being submitted to Building Control.

Dust control measures are being discussed, and the owners have been reminded of the importance of keeping residents informed of the times when significant demolition works will occur. 

24-hour site security remains in place. 



18 April 2023

Work has commenced to reopen Forest Road. The council have been liaising closely with the contractor, and a schedule of initial works has been approved.

As part of this, tomorrow morning (Wednesday 19 April), the contractor will be taking dust samples from the site to inform any future work on the site.

Council environmental health officers will also be present on the site tomorrow. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask them.

As the works progress, further updates will be posted on this web page. 


30 March 2023 - what next? Frequently asked questions following the fire at Forest Road. 

Do I need to be concerned about air quality?

Our understanding is that there are no ongoing air quality concerns and residents were only required to keep windows closed during the fire and when demolition work was taking place. An air quality assessment was completed by the Environment Agency Air Quality Cell which determined that the air quality risks were low. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also undertaken an assessment and advised that the public health risk is low.


Do I need to be concerned about debris on my property?

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has undertaken an assessment and advised that the public health risk is low. Clean-up work from residential properties has been completed by a specialist contractor for those who requested it. Over 40 properties were cleared of debris prior to the specialist contractor being stood down on 29 March 2023. All properties requiring clean-up as per the request of residents was completed on 28 March – to the knowledge of the council, no further properties require clean-up work. For anyone who has the further requirement for clean-up work at their property, they are advised to go through their insurance company.


What should I do if there is damage to my property?

If there is damage to your property, residents are advised to make a claim through their insurance company. Alternatively, they should pursue this directly with the owners of the industrial building, they can be contacted by phone on 01623 421555 or by emailing srags@savanna-rags.com.


What are the timescales for further onsite demolition and clearance?

The site has been handed back to the owners and they are now responsible for overseeing ongoing demolition and clearance work and will be dealing with it through their insurers. The owner has been in receipt of advice and guidance about the requirements for demolition from the council’s Building Control service. Contact will need to be made directly with the owners for further information on the timeline for demolition and clearance.
 

What are the timescales for fully reopening Forest Road?

The partial road closure will lift when further demolition work has been completed. Work nearest the road will be the prioritised to enable this to happen. This is a matter for the owners and their insurers. Contact will need to be made directly with them for more information, contact them by phone on 01623 421555 or by emailing srags@savanna-rags.com.

 

Who will provide oversight of the ongoing demolition and clearance of the site?

The council’s Building Control service is working with the owners of Savanna Rags regarding further demolition work. Our Building Control service will check all documentation relating to the demolition operations including environmental reports, and method statements associated with any potential risks contained within the site. Conditions will be applied as appropriate by the Building Control service. It is proposed that weekly meetings are held to oversee the work and check on progress. In addition to Building Control, these meetings will also include the council’s Environmental Health service. As consequence of the council’s role in the oversight of future work on site, it is expected that it will be necessary to consult and engage different partner agencies to ensure specific controls are in place for addressing issues over which the council has no responsibility or expertise. It is anticipated that the agencies most likely to be involved in this work are the Environment Agency and Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

 

Who is responsible for site security?

The owners of the site are responsible for ensuring security of the site. If you have any concerns about the security of the site, please contact them directly.




29 March 2023

Specialist contractors have removed debris from more than 40 affected properties in the Forest Road area and will now stand down their onsite presence.

Residents in the immediate area who still require assistance should contact Mansfield District Council on 01623 463463 or email mdc@mansfield.gov.uk and add FIRE to the subject heading.

The guidance from the fire service to keep windows closed is no longer in place and in the days immediately after the fire, the Environmental Agency Air Quality Cell considered the air quality risks to be low. UK Health Security Agency has also advised that the risks to health are low and the investigation by the Environmental Agency reported that there were “no chemicals or asbestos involved” so is unlikely to be any exposure to these things. However, the specialist contractors carried out a thorough clear-up of debris as a risk mitigation.

The fire investigation is ongoing, however the site has been handed back to the owners and any further works regarding the demolition of the site and road closures are the responsibility of the owners and their insurers. Contact can be made with the owners on 01623 421555 or by email srags@savanna-rags.com. 

You can visit our dedicated webpage for more FAQs and updates regarding the incident www.mansfield.gov.uk/forestroadfire.

We’d like to thank residents once again for their ongoing support and patience during the response to the fire.
 




27 March 2023

Following the emergency response to the industrial fire in Forest Road, Mansfield District Council is now leading on the wider clean-up of the area.

We will be visiting properties to get a better understanding of the situation, to address the concerns of residents, and to be able to work with our specialist contractors to prioritise the clean-up.

If you live in a property on Sandhurst Avenue, Bessemer Drive, Anvil Court or Forest Road that hasn’t yet been cleared of fire-related debris, please contact us so we can talk to you about the wider clean-up.

Residents are asked to not clear any fire debris themselves.
 

Residents in the area will be able to clean their cars (if necessary) after contractors have completed the debris clearance from residents' properties. 

The guidance from the fire service for residents to keep their windows closed during the fire and throughout the demolition work is no longer in place.

Please follow the advice given by the specialist contractors when they visit your property.  


The area is expected to be cleared by 1 April 2023.

To view our latest statement about the clear up, please follow the latest news link (Opens in a new window)