Firefighters from North Herts have been working hard attempting to extinguish a blaze at the Nationwide Metal Recycling in Hitchin.

As Hitchin Nub News has been reporting crews have been making steady progress fighting the fire at Cadwell Lane in our town, after trucks were called before 10pm on Monday evening (December 11).

Their work included listing with the Environment Agent to protect local water sources from being contaminated by run-off from the firefighters operations in attempting to quell the fire.

The fire service told residents not to open their windows last night due to noxious and/or toxic substances released by the blaze, prompting fears of dangerous pollution not only to local people but to the environment.

North Herts Bearton Ward Councillors, Dave Winstanley, Val Bryant and Ian Albert issued a joint statement to Hitchin Nub News.

"We would like to thank Hertfordshire firefighters for their prompt and continuing action in response to the fire at Nationwide Metal Recycling off Cadwell Lane in Hitchin," the local politicians said.

"We will need to wait for the reports of the causes of the fire from the Fire Service and Health and Safety Executive. But what is clear is that the fire while under control will last for some time yet, And the presence onsite of lithium-ion batteries is helping to increase the risk of pollution and contamination."

The councillors added that the metal recycling plants off Cadwell Lane are near to the homes of many residents who have complained about them frequently on grounds of noise, fire, explosions, large lorries and inconvenience. They are also near many businesses providing vital employment.

"We recognise that metal recycling itself creates jobs. But we will be calling on all the relevant authorities such as Herts County Council, North Herts Council, the Environment Agency, to conduct an immediate review whether it is still appropriate to licence metal recycling on the Hitchin Industrial Estates.

"There are just too many risks for this to continue, in our view, as housing in that part of Hitchin is only likely to increase, and there are real dangers as we saw last night with residents and businesses forced to close windows and avoid the area."

The trio continued: "We have raised many times also about the numbers of large metal recycling lorries going through Hitchin and then along Grove Road. Hitchin desperately needs a new access road to the industrial estate.

"But the risks of further fires will still remain, even with such a road, while metal recycling takes place so close to many homes and businesses."

LIKE/FOLLOW HITCHIN NUB NEWS ON FACEBOOK FOR ALL YOUR LATEST HITCHIN NEWS

RELATED ARTICLE

Firefighters tackle Hitchin blaze at recycling site on Cadwell Lane