Date: 06/10/2009
Following the explosion and fire at the Stirling Lloyd factory at Birch Vale on the evening of Friday 2 October, Sett ward councillor and Leader of High Peak Borough Council Tony Ashton has praised the efforts of the emergency services.
'Mercifully, there were no casualties following the incident. I would like to praise the professionalism and courage of the emergency services, who, working together quickly tackled the fire, evacuated nearby homes and closed off roads, moving residents to safety. A rest centre for the evacuated was set up and when it was deemed safe, residents were allowed back to their homes' he said.
'Officers from our emergency team worked through Friday night and over the weekend supporting the many agencies involved. We produced and hand-delivered a newsletter to affected residents on Sunday evening to keep them informed of what went on and with emergency contact numbers, should they still have any concerns.'
'All in all, this has been a concerted team effort by all the services involved, who with local residents, came together to support the community in a time of need. I cannot praise this response by our emergency services too highly'
Cllr Ashton concluded 'We look forward to learning the cause of the incident, the circumstances leading up to it and seeing if there are lessons to be learnt for long-term safety'.