Council Chief Demands Government Action Over Toxic 'Forever Chemical' Crisis Near Former RAF Base
A local council leader has written to ministers demanding urgent action after forever chemicals were detected at levels 43,000 times above safety limits near a former RAF base in Oxfordshire.
Council Leader Pushes for Government Intervention on PFAS Contamination
The leader of Cherwell District Council has formally written to a government minister demanding immediate action following the discovery of dangerous levels of so-called 'forever chemicals' near a former Royal Air Force installation in Oxfordshire.
Independent testing conducted on a stream close to the former RAF Upper Heyford site revealed concentrations of PFAS chemicals reaching a staggering 43,000 times above accepted environmental safety standards — a figure that has alarmed both local residents and environmental campaigners alike.
What Are Forever Chemicals and Why Are They Dangerous?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic compounds notorious for their extraordinary resistance to natural breakdown processes, potentially persisting in the environment for thousands of years. Once widely used in firefighting foam formulations, several PFAS compounds have since been banned in England and Wales owing to their suspected carcinogenic properties.
Historic Ministry of Defence documents, recently uncovered by the BBC, confirmed that firefighting chemicals were routinely discharged into drainage systems at the RAF Upper Heyford site — strongly suggesting these activities are the likely source of the contamination now detected in nearby waterways. The Environment Agency had previously acknowledged the risk of contamination stemming from historic firefighting operations at the location.
Local Leaders Call for Urgent Multi-Agency Response
Cherwell District Council leader Lesley McLean has written directly to Water and Flooding Minister Emma Hardy, requesting an urgent meeting to address the growing crisis. Her correspondence also urged the government to designate Heyford Park and its surrounding area as a priority monitoring site for PFAS pollution.
"I'm calling on all national and local agencies to pull together urgently to understand exactly what the health concerns are and agree what immediate actions are required to ensure this matter is properly understood," McLean stated.
She added that she hopes Minister Hardy will respond constructively and help coordinate a robust, multi-agency response to protect public health and the surrounding environment.
Developer Welcomes Coordinated Approach
Paul Silver, CEO of Dorchester Living — the developer and current site owner, which has plans to construct up to 9,000 new homes at the former base — expressed support for McLean's position. He described the council leader's approach as "proactive" and acknowledged that PFAS contamination is a challenge being faced by communities and policymakers across the entire United Kingdom.
"This is a national issue, one that communities and policymakers across the UK are grappling with as scientific understanding and regulation continue to evolve, and it is right that government is urged to act with urgency," Silver said.
It was also confirmed this month that Dorchester Living had not previously conducted testing for PFAS on the site, noting that the substance had "only more recently emerged as a focus for investigation" and was not historically included in routine environmental assessments.
Parliamentary Pressure Mounts
Bicester and Woodstock MP Calum Miller has reiterated his call in parliament for local residents to be granted meetings with both the Environment Secretary and the Health Secretary. This follows a public commitment made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions, in which he pledged to ensure the "appropriate steps are taken" to deal with the contamination and confirmed that a meeting between affected residents and relevant ministers would be arranged.
Community Concerns First Raised Months Ago
Public alarm over the contamination first surfaced in April after historical water quality data emerged showing elevated PFAS levels in waterways located approximately 4 kilometres downstream from the site. Since then, local campaigners have consistently demanded immediate testing of both residents and the wider environment to fully assess the scale of the health risk posed by the pollution.
With pressure intensifying from local government, parliamentary representatives, and the wider community, all eyes are now on Westminster to deliver the coordinated, transparent response that residents around Heyford Park urgently need.
