Saxon Pit risk assessment

A public health risk assessment is a process to identify potential hazards to human health, evaluate the likelihood and severity of potential harm to public health, and determine if there are any additional control measures, or further monitoring or analysis, that are needed to prevent or reduce these risks.

The public health risk assessment was carried out following concerns raised by the community in relation to the Saxon Pit site and potential impacts on health.

Cambridgeshire County Council Public Health convened an incident management team and worked closely with partners to carry out the risk assessment including UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Fenland District Council (Environmental Health) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). As regulators, the Environment Agency and Waste Planning Authority at Cambridgeshire County Council have provided data, information, and advice.

UKHSA and local authority public health teams may assess the risks to health from environmental permits and variations applications through the permitting process which is regulated by the both the Environment Agency and Local Authority (district councils in Cambridgeshire).

In a small number of cases where public health specialists have concerns that there may have been breaches in permit conditions and there is potential for risks to human health – as was the case for Saxon Pit - then there may be an incident management team convened, and public health risk assessment undertaken.

In this instance, Cambridgeshire County Council Public Health convened the multi-agency group in response to community concerns.

The assessment has been carried out by the multi-agency group which was convened on behalf of the Director of Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council and led by one of the Consultants in Public Health in the public health team.

The majority of the analysis of available monitoring and modelling data was undertaken and supported by environmental scientists at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the national body responsible for preventing, preparing for, and responding to infectious diseases, and environmental hazards. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Fenland District Council (Environmental Health) also provided analysis of water and soil samples and potential impacts on human health.

As regulators of the operations at the site, the Environment Agency and the Waste Planning Authority at Cambridgeshire County Council provided data, guidance and advice on the operations at Saxon Pit.

The risk assessment examined air and water quality data and levels of gases being emitted from the ground to determine any risk to public health from the site.

Agencies, authorities and organisations that hold relevant monitoring and modelling data and complaints from residents (Environment Agency, Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland District Council and the site operators) shared this data and evidence with UKHSA. Specialist UKHSA environmental scientists reviewed this and then evaluated the results against the current, nationally set public health related standards set to protect public health. The team from UKHSA did not undertake any additional monitoring, but provided analysis based on existing data.

Following initial findings, some specific soil and water samples were taken to further assess water quality and impacts on soil and animals by Environmental Health at Fenland District Council and APHA.

Regulatory limits and standards within environmental permits are set at a national level by central government agencies.

This public health risk assessment did not review the suitability or adequacy of the nationally set standards for industrial processes, including those relating to Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA). These standards are established and regulated at a national level by statutory bodies and therefore fall outside the scope and remit of this local public health risk assessment.

The assessment also did not include an occupational health risk assessment of potential workplace-related health issues. Matters relating to worker health and safety are overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and are addressed through separate regulatory and enforcement processes. Any concerns relating to workplace health and safety should be reported directly to the HSE

The assessment also did not include a detailed review of noise levels although it did consider the number of noise complaints that had been made to the various agencies and authorities. The permit conditions for each operator will include noise emission levels.

At this stage, there has been no formal assessment of the wider impact on the local community. Cambridgeshire County Council Public Health intends to work with the local community to undertake a cumulative community health impact assessment. This will help to better understand the potential impacts of the Saxon Pit site on the health and wellbeing of residents. This is one of five recommendations from this work.

The risk assessment found there are no identified risks to public health from:

• water from King’s Dyke being used for livestock
• emissions from land (gas) from the site
• air quality in the location of Hallcroft Road.

Further evidence would be beneficial to assess:

• air quality at the Saxon Pit boundary
• if there are ongoing noise or odour issues
• any cumulative health impacts, including on mental health​.

The assessment found that there are opportunities to strengthen ways of working across all agencies, operators, and the community to promote and enhance the health and wellbeing of residents.

For a full explanation of how these findings were evaluated, and recommendations that have been made within the report, please refer to the report itself.

Dust and other emissions from activities at Saxon Pit are regulated through environmental permits issued by the Environment Agency. Both on and off-site monitoring is already undertaken, and based on the data available to date, operators at the site have for the most part, been compliant with the conditions of these permits.

For the past 16 years, an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) has been in place in two locations close to Saxon Pit. This relates to historic concerns over former brickwork operations at the site, which have since ceased. Monitoring within the AQMA has focused on sulphur dioxide rather than dust, and no exceedances of acceptable sulphur dioxide levels have been recorded.

In addition, air quality monitoring by Fenland District Council has been taking place in Hallcroft Road since 2023. This includes monitoring nitrogen dioxide (commonly associated with traffic emissions), sulphur dioxide and dust, and data indicates that air quality in this area is good.

In light of public concerns about dust at Saxon Pit, multi-agency partners intend to develop an air quality monitoring strategy to better understand air pollution risk and the Environment Agency will ensure regular review of dust emission management plans. This is one of five recommendations from this work.

The public health risk assessment was undertaken to establish whether there were any risks to human health from emissions in and around Saxon Pit, recognising that environmental conditions can be influenced by the wider local environment and domestic sources, as well as by activities on or near the site.

There are no identified public health risks to water from King’s Dyke being used for livestock, emissions from land (gas) from the site, and air quality in the location of Hallcroft Road. To enable an accurate assessment of air quality in other nearby streets, as well as noise, odour and cumulative impacts, further evidence would be beneficial. If future evidence were to indicate that air quality is not as good as expected, additional work would be undertaken to understand the reasons for this. This would consider a wide range of potential influences, including weather conditions, traffic, historic site use, domestic sources (such as wood burning and coal fires), and other commercial activities, alongside operations on or near the site.

Nationally, air pollutants such as particulate matter and sulphur dioxide arise from many different sources. For example, particulate matter emissions in the UK largely come from domestic burning (such as wood and coal fires), road transport, and a range of industrial and non-industrial activities. Similarly, sulphur dioxide emissions arise from a mix of energy generation, domestic burning, and industrial combustion.

Businesses operating on or near Saxon Pit undertake different activities under separate Environment Agency permits. The data reviewed as part of this work assesses overall environmental conditions and public health risk and does not identify any operator as a source of concern. Importantly, the assessment found no identified risk to public health from current operations, but we do want further evidence on air quality, noise, odour and cumulative impacts. Regulatory oversight continues in the usual way, and any new evidence will be assessed and acted upon as appropriate.

Based on the information and data assessed to date, there is no evidence of a risk to public health from air quality around Saxon Pit.

The nearest air quality monitoring location at Hallcroft Road shows that air quality is in compliance with National Air Quality Objectives. This monitor was installed in 2023 following a request from local elected members, specifically to provide reassurance about air quality in the area, and the results to date support that reassurance.

However, partners recognise that public concern remains, particularly in relation to dust. For this reason, further work is planned to strengthen air quality monitoring and improve understanding of potential air pollution risks around the site. This includes multi-agency partners developing a more targeted air quality monitoring strategy and ensuring continued regulatory oversight of dust emission management arrangements.

Air quality will continue to be kept under review, and any new evidence will be assessed and acted upon as appropriate.

Dust particles that are visible (> 50μm in diameter) are too big to be inhaled deep into the lungs. Visible dust is, therefore, primarily considered a nuisance rather than having an adverse effect on health. However, it can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation and lead to deposition on cars, windows and property resulting in heightened health concerns for populations living nearby.

The UK Health Security Agency advises:

1. If you feel you are being impacted by visible dust in the atmosphere or odour emissions, then close doors and windows and reopen once this has reduced to ventilate your property
2. Report nuisance dust and odours whenever they occur to the Environment Agency
3. Contact NHS111 or your GP if you have concerns about your individual circumstances or require health advice including mental health support

All complaints received to date have been appropriately investigated. In some cases, complaints were linked to specific short-term activities at the site, and operators took action at the time, including stopping or adjusting those activities where appropriate.

The regulators will continue to investigate and respond to any future complaints in line with procedures.

Based on data and information available to date, the threshold required to demonstrate an ongoing statutory noise or odour nuisance has not been met. However, this position will be kept under review as further information becomes available.

No action is required from members of the public, though you should continue to raise concerns when you feel these are warranted (how to do this can be found below).

You may also wish to engage with the future work planned by Cambridgeshire County Council Public Health, including the cumulative community health impact assessment. Information about this will be published at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/saxon-pit.

Operations on site will continue to be monitored by site operators as required by their environmental permitting and planning conditions.

This report recommends some specific additional monitoring which is subject to funding or available equipment and will need to be agreed by relevant agencies.

Recommendations:

• Increase trust and collaboration between the community, operators, and regulators.
• Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council to work with residents on a cumulative community health impact assessment.
• The Environment Agency (with support from Fenland District Council) to increase monitoring to ensure risks to human health from emissions to water remain low.
• Multi-agency partners to work together to develop an air quality monitoring strategy to understand air pollution risk and the Environment Agency to ensure regular review of dust emission management plans.
• Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council to explore opportunities to strengthen policies and practices around waste and human health.

Cambridgeshire County Council Public Health:

· health.protection@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Environment Agency:

• Report environmental issues with odour, dust and noise via the 24-hour incident hotline by calling 0800 807060 or via the online reporting tool at: Report an environmental problem - GOV.UK.

  Waste Planning Authority (Cambridgeshire County Council):

• Report a breach of planning control via the online form at: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/business/planning-and-development/planning-applications/planning-enforcement-and-monitoring.

  Environmental Health (Fenland District Council):

• Report environmental issues such as noise, smell or smoke to Environmental Health at Fenland District Council at: www.fenland.gov.uk/nuisance.

We have no public health concerns about the water in King’s Dyke because people are not drinking, cooking with or bathing in the water and our soil testing indicates that it is safe for livestock too. This means that even though there is evidence of elevated levels of some heavy metals, there is no pathway to cause harm to public health.

We used drinking water standards in the public health risk assessment in the absence of other suitable standards for an open watercourse with respect to human health. The vast majority of watercourses in the country will not meet drinking water standards. This is why water safety planning, assessment of raw water catchment areas, and extensive treatment of water is undertaken before it is supplied as drinking water by water companies, in line with guidelines and standards provided by the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

No decisions have been made about whether water from King’s Dyke will be used for the proposed Fens Reservoir. Anglian Water is aware of the current information relating to water quality in King’s Dyke and will consider this, alongside a wide range of other technical and environmental evidence, when finalising its water quality assessments and future water management arrangements. As set out in Anglian Water’s proposals, the Fens Reservoir would include a dedicated water treatment works. Any water abstracted for use would be subject to a comprehensive treatment process to ensure it meets stringent water quality standards.

We will regularly review the monitoring data for water and air at the quarterly Public Health group that we are going to establish for Saxon Pit. If we are ever concerned about levels of pollutants and there is a route (pathway) for them to cause harm to health then we will work with the regulators and operators to reduce or stop the activity that is causing the issue. As required in this situation, we will ask UKHSA to provide specific advice and guidance to the Local Authority and/ or Environment Agency about risk to public health as a result of breaches of permit conditions.

Fenland District Council’s air quality monitor at Hallcroft Road has collected an extensive amount of data since it was installed in 2023. The monitor operated continuously for extended periods between February 2023 and April 2024, June 2024 to October 2024, and June 2025 to October 2025. To date 24 months of data has been collected.

During this time, no exceedances of the National Air Quality Objectives have been recorded, and air quality at Hallcroft Road has consistently been rated as good in line with recognised air quality indices. The volume, consistency and quality of the data collected during operational periods provides confidence in the overall assessment of air quality at this location.

Air quality monitoring and data review will continue, and any new evidence will be assessed and acted upon as appropriate.

The public health risk assessment shows no identified risks from water in the King’s Dyke or from gas being emitted from the land due to an absence of a pathway to the local community. There are no risks from surface water because it is not being used for drinking, cooking or bathing and tests show it is safe for livestock. There were no groundwater abstractions identified within the vicinity of the site, and therefore with the absence of a pathway to the local community, risks from groundwater to public health was considered likely to be low. There will be ongoing monitoring of water and land, and if this monitoring indicates that there are changes that are of concern, then appropriate steps will need to be taken by regulators and operators to mitigate any risks.

The public health risk assessment did not include an occupational health risk assessment of potential workplace-related health issues. Matters relating to worker health and safety are overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and are addressed through separate regulatory and enforcement processes. Any concerns relating to workplace health and safety should be reported directly to the HSE.

‘Forever chemicals’ were not measured in the water as the King’s Dyke is not currently identified as a Private Water Supply and therefore not considered a high-risk location for PFAS risk assessment. However, Environmental Health will continue to monitor the site for any change in usage and if the Dyke is used for a Private Water Supply in the future, they will take appropriate action.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who have the relevant expertise in assessing risks from environmental hazards in animals, supported us in assessing risks to livestock from water in the King’s Dyke. In their extensive experience, lead and cadmium are key markers of risk and that is why they were specifically measured. Given that the levels of lead and cadmium within the soil samples that we took were all well within safe limits, we did not undertake further testing.

The chemical composition of dust on the Saxon Pit site has not been analysed. If further air quality monitoring, as recommended in the report, shows that there are problems with air quality in residential areas then chemical analysis of dust will be considered at that point, and where the source of the dust is not clear.

Cambridgeshire County Council Public Health have previously been consulted on and commented on planning applications and environmental permits for this site. The UK Health Security Agency is consulted on and has commented on Environmental Permits for operations at Saxon Pit.

This is the only public health risk assessment undertaken through the Incident Management Team (IMT) process at this site – these are only undertaken when public health professionals are concerned about potential impacts to human health.

Through the Public Health group that will be set up under Recommendation 1 of the report, we intend to have a discussion with all partners (including residents) about how we can build trust and provide reassurance on potential risks to human health. This will include discussion of whether more monitoring data can be shared with residents, and if possible (depending on how it is collected and needs to be analysed/interpreted), in real-time.

The level of noise that is acceptable is different depending on the setting (i.e. a workplace) or the locality.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for community noise recommend less than 30 A-weighted decibels (dB(A)) in bedrooms during the night for a sleep of good quality and less than 35 dB(A) in classrooms to allow good teaching and learning conditions. The WHO guidelines for night noise recommend less than 40 dB(A) of annual average (Lnight) outside of bedrooms to prevent adverse health effects from night noise. Lots of people, however, are subjected to higher levels of noise than recommended by the WHO guidelines.

Noise reports made to Fenland District Council have been investigated following the usual procedures and approaches as those used for statutory noise nuisance. This requires an assessment of the level of impact on a person’s enjoyment of their property. For example, does it impact their sleep or is it audible within their home. There are no set decibel levels for noise nuisance assessments.

By contrast it is usual for environmental permit and planning conditions to have specific decibel levels set, usually levels that must not be exceeded at the boundary of a site.

Each planning application has been required to submit an assessment of industrial noise levels following and agreed rationale within a British Standard (BS4142). This assessment then compares the background noise level (the noise present without the industrial activity) with the noise level in the presence of the activity. If this is more than 5 decibels greater then mitigations must be put in place.

We appreciate that noise has been a key concern for residents and through the Public Health report recommendations we are planning to better understand and quantify the impacts of noise on residents. We will use this evidence to consider whether further actions are required to protect the health and wellbeing of residents from noise.

The public briefings on Tuesday 13 January were intended to provide residents with an overview of the findings of the report, delivered by qualified public health professionals. As indicated in those briefings, we are scheduling a further information session (now confirmed for Wednesday 4 February) and are also providing answers to questions from residents via our website. 

There are many hazards in our environments (home, work, wider environment) that in theory may be a risk to human health but in reality, do not cause harm. The Incident Management Team has undertaken an assessment of the potential harm to human health from air, land and water in line with standard public health practice and the established evidence base on environmental hazards for human health. In the course of our work and based on the evidence that is currently available, we have not identified any reason to deviate from standard public health practice and at this time will not be running additional modelling or tests above and beyond what is already recommended within the public health report. 

With respect to Environmental Quality Standards, the water sampling undertaken by both the operator, as part of the discharge permit application, and the Environment Agency (EA) has shown that all chemicals pass with the exception of mercury which was borderline on two of the five model runs.  The two model runs in question were for scenarios when there was no or very low flow in the Kings Dyke.  No or very low flow is deemed unlikely as the system is managed by the Mid-Level Commissioners but were it to occur in the middle of summer the necessity to pump from the lagoon would also likely be reduced. 

Nonetheless, the EA have taken a precautionary approach and the discharge permit will reflect this as well as additional sampling taking place.  It is worth bearing in mind that most UK rivers are failing for mercury levels because of our industrial past and the fact until last year we were burning coal - the mercury from which returns to our land and watercourses from deposition and rainfall.   

It is a public health risk assessment of current operations and is a final report. We will be focussing on delivering the recommendations made in it.

If site operations change, we will make further consideration of whether changes merit work beyond the current recommendations and actions made in the report. Note, however, that Public Health, UKHSA and Environmental Health will have responded to Environmental Permit consultations and Public Health and Environmental Health may have also already responded to planning consultations. Any considerations of future work will be done through the Public Health group proposed under Recommendation one of the report.

Saxon Works are part of East Midlands Waste Management so any available data was included in analysis.

Our understanding is that Forterra has issued an apology for these meetings not going ahead and that they will be reinstated. Public Health has no control over the liaison arrangements, but Recommendation one of the report identifies the need to build trust and collaboration so working with all partners, and through the Public Health group, we will seek to understand whether liaison meetings and regulator meetings are going ahead as part of the overall picture of collaboration. 

Forterra was included in the public health risk assessment on the advice of regulators given its proximity to the pit. The location of the monitors will be considered as part of the air quality monitoring strategy recommended in the report (Recommendation four). This work will go into the detail of what we need to do to further assess air quality. 

The Environment Agency provided UKHSA with the data under discretional disclosure and it is up to the Environment Agency as to whether data is disclosed.