When I arrived home from work a few days ago, there was a copy of the latest edition of South All Community News published by the Berkeley Group on my door mat. The back page had a photograph of a group of beaming primary school children, in high vis jackets in front of a group of adults and in the backdrop there was a Conway lorry with the strapline ‘great people: great work’. To the side of the group was a Berkeley Group Southall Waterside banner proudly proclaiming that they are ‘Proud to support our local community.’ I felt both saddened and angry at the same time, sad for the children whose health is being compromised by emissions from FM Conway’s ashalt plant and angry that the middle aged people standing behind the youngsters probably won’t be around to see them experience debilitating illnesses like, dementia, heart, lung and kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. It is known that particulate matter becomes embedded in the lungs and enters the blood stream causing immense damage. The authorities and FM Conway know they are not investing in the technology and strictly complying with practices and procedures, to reduce the emissions from the plant and it would seem that they are exploiting children to appear to be a socially responsible company. If there was any sincerity in being ‘proud to support our local community’ they would go beyond the public relations, photo friendly opportunities and implement changes at their plant and play their part in improving air quality in Southall and Hayes. The political elite are failing vulnerable communities. Ealing and Hillingdon councils need to listen, act and defend the rights of the community, which already face multiple inequalities due to social disadvantage, not to be unfairly and unjustly polluted by a company for profit. Cllr Bell is meeting Cllr Puddifoot on Tuesday 6th February. I urge him to press his counterpart for a copy of the independent inspector’s report into FM Conway and the other roadstone plants in Hillingdon and to impress upon him the need to take enforcement action. Cllr Bell, if you are reading this, the community in Old Southall experience the odour all day, every day, not just on a transient bike journey through Southall. No rational person can regard this as a minor nuisance. We don’t want more talking, we want action! It simply isn’t right for Berkeley Group to build a new community on the gas works site and destroy the health of the existing community at the same time. We are not expendable! Whatever FM Conway and Berkeley Group contribute to community projects, will in no way make up for the cost to the community, in impaired health.