MPs, Councillors and Havering Campaigners Urge Starmer To Support Zane’s Law.

Havering’s local MPs, councillors and campaigners have joined together to support calls for a new law to address the crisis of contaminated land in the UK, with a focus on protecting people and the environment above all else.

The proposed legislation, known as Zane’s Law, would give local authorities and campaigners stronger powers to deal with contaminated land and reduce the impact on residents living near affected sites.

The campaign follows the death of seven year old Zane Gbangbola, who died in the early hours of 8 February 2014 during severe flooding near the River Thames in Chertsey, Surrey. Floodwater passed through a nearby historic landfill site and carried hydrogen cyanide gas into Zane’s home, where it was later detected at high levels by Surrey Fire and Rescue Services. Zane’s father, Kye, was also left paralysed and diagnosed with hydrogen cyanide poisoning.

Kye Gbangbola has since led the campaign to introduce new legislation to better protect communities from contaminated land.

Zane’s Law proposes a number of measures to strengthen oversight and accountability. These include requiring every local authority to maintain a full and regularly updated register of potentially contaminated land within their area, and for the Environment Agency to create and maintain a national public register using this information.

The proposals also state that these registers must be accessible to the public, and that local authorities must fully inspect and remediate any land that poses a risk to public health or pollutes water sources. This would also include responsibility for inspecting and addressing risks from previously closed landfill sites.

Under the proposals, the government would be required to provide the funding needed for local authorities to carry out this work, while still applying the principle that those responsible for pollution should contribute where possible.

Kye recently met with the Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Ray Morgon, Margaret Mullane MP, a representative from Julia Lopez MP’s office, local campaigner Ruth Kettle Frisby and Havering Council’s Chief Executive. Those present agreed to support the campaign and to write to the Prime Minister calling for the law to be introduced.

Councillor Ray Morgon said the council has already endorsed Zane’s Law and wanted local MPs to be fully briefed so they could lend their support. He said there was agreement that the issue should rise above politics and receive cross party backing.

He added that Havering has first hand experience of the impact contaminated land can have, pointing to the long running issues at Launders Lane, where smoke from illegally dumped waste has affected residents for years. He said current legislation makes it difficult for councils to act quickly and that it has taken years, including a judicial review, to reach a point where solutions can be considered. He also highlighted the financial strain on councils when trying to address such issues.

Margaret Mullane MP said she fully supports Zane’s Law and the need to protect communities from historic landfill pollution. She said residents in Rainham have suffered for too long due to underground fires at Launders Lane and confirmed she will continue to raise the issue both locally and in Parliament.

Local campaigner and Green Party member Ruth Kettle Frisby said contaminated land is linked to wider environmental issues including polluted water and toxic air, creating what she described as an environmental health crisis. She said the proposed law would improve transparency and accountability while protecting the public.

Kye Gbangbola said there is growing national support for the campaign, with public authorities, mayors and unions coming together to push for change. He said Zane’s Law would help ensure communities have access to clean and safe environments while also supporting economic growth through the safe redevelopment of land.

Zane’s mother said the law represents an opportunity to fix what she described as a broken system and to better protect families and children. She said every family deserves to feel safe in their home.

Supporters of the campaign are now calling on the government to act and bring Zane’s Law into legislation.

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