OPERATORS who transport chemicals to a Linthwaite firm are to be informed of the bad state of the access road by safety chiefs.

The measure was confirmed by representatives from the Health and Safety Executive after a report was produced into the Grosvenor Chemicals fire in 2010 in Linthwaite.

And it was news that was given to members of the Colne Valley Action Group, who arranged a multi-agency meeting in Slaithwaite to express their concern about the firm and about the steep, badly maintained access road to the Manchester Road plant.

The meeting, chaired by Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney, was attended by Kirklees Council Highways, West Yorkshire Fire Service and Colne Valley Action Group.

Action Group member Gordon Ratcliffe told the meeting: “This road is not safe to carry vehicles with dangerous chemicals.”

But the meeting heard how Lees Mill Lane used to access the site is a private road and has no owner to pay for repairs.

Kirklees Council have said the road will only be maintained as a public footpath despite concerns over pedestrian safety.

Chris Flint, head of operations at the HSE, agreed that they will now write to all operators visiting the Grosvenor site to allow them to alert tanker drivers about the bad state of the road.

Access by fire crews was then addressed by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s Kirklees District Commander Keith Robinson.

He said: “It is a bad road. Our appliances fully laden weigh between 14-18 tonnes in comparison to a tanker which weighs around 44 tonnes.

“Whilst the road is in a bad condition we can still get down there.

“It would be down to the driver of that appliance to make a judgement call.”