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April 8, 2006:
Name: Terri
Address: Rickmansworth
Views: I live a distance away, but work less than a quarter of a mile away from Buncefield. Over three months later, and sitting in an office block where the top floor is still closed because the ceiling is damaged, I thank my lucky stars that this happened on a Sunday morning and not 27 hours later when I would have been sitting at my desk.
Here's my view on Friday 7th April.
Every lunchtime my friends and I walk around the industrial site to stretch our legs. We have therefore seen the construction work that has been going on over the last few months.
Or should we say 'destruction' work? From what I can see, all of the buildings on the Buncefield side of the road are being dismantled. One in particular comes to mind.
It is (was?) a brand new distribution warehouse that was so close to completion that the week before the blast they'd just put the trees in the car park!
Now it has a demolition company's name on the fences surrounding it. Although I don't hold Buncefield and Total completely blameless, I think the main blame should lie with the authorities that allowed buildings to be built so close to such a major oil depot.
If you look at Google Earth or getmapping (which are a couple of years behind the times) and compare it with current buildings, you can see that in the very recent past new industrial units have mushroomed into every bit of free space between the depot and the industrial estate.
So once these units have been demolished, can we keep them demolished? And can we have a barrier in their place to take the impact of any future blast? We (the country) need the oil depot but we (the local people) need to know that our safety has also been taken into consideration.
Comments after publication of first part of inquiry, Feb 22
Name: Paul Harrison
Address: Chenies Court
Woodhall Farm
Hemel Hempstaed
Views: Whilst reading the Gazette's latest update on the ramifications of the Buncefield incident I recalled that during Hemel Hempstead's early development as a New Town it was used as the location for the classic Brtish Sci-Fi horror film Quatermass. The plot featured a sinister industrial complex referred to as "the plant" which appeared mainly to consist of some very forboding large storage tanks. These tanks were the cause of mischief and mayhem much to the detriment of the local community. As we continue to restore our trashed home to its pre-December state the irony is not lost on me.
Name: John Wilson
Address: Whittington close
Hythe
Southampton
Views: I think the attitude of HOSL toward the people who have suffered losses due to the Bunsefield disaster is unforgivable they operated the site their fuel igniting caused massive damage and yet the have yet to admit any liability
i lost a brand new £36,000 boat that had never even been in the water and its loss may well put me out of business.
How can HOSL not be to blame its their site their fuel and their responsibility to compensate people for the huge losses that have occured. Or is it the case that HOSL are a huge concern and the likes of us do not count, is there going to be a cover up so the oil giants can go on ruining peoples lives and polluting our inviroment.
We should have some sort of action from the goverment to ensure that people are propery compensated for ALL losses and to ensure that this never happens again
Name: Rosemary Bell
Address: 42 Chenies Court, Woodhall Farm, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7JU
Views: I am surprised to read that the Buncefield inquiry never mentioned the Calor Gas site in Cherry trees Lane.
What is a site like that doing so near Buncefield and so near residential houses?
Hard questions need to be asked.
I assume the calour gas site is for the caravan accommodation next door, and would also question a gas site like that to be place so near to petrol storage?
Hasn't anyone on Hemel Council got any common sense?!
Name: jayne gym
Address: email supplied
Views: I want to know why on earth the council went ahead building in the exculsion zone round the oil terminal, they put so many peoples lifes in danger if the explosion happened on a weekday, even fuji is in the exculsion zone, so why did the council give planning person,was it greed on the council part and the little concern for human life. They should never had built so close to the oil terminal, we can all be thankfull it happened on a sunday and not a monday as there would hvae be many deaths I am sure. at least it has shown that these accidents can happen and shown how stupid our council is for allowing planning permission
Name: Luke Brason
Address: Parr Crescent
Hemel Hempstead
Views: I'm appalled by the lack of empathy from Total re: Buncefield depot explosion and relating damage. I'm now boycotting Total petrol stations and urge all other local residents to do the same.
Total hit us in our pockets - so lets do the same to them.
Name: ashley n
Address: datchworth turn
leverstock green
Views: it was really scary me and my friend were in my room sleeping.i was onthe floor she was on the bed.suddenly there was an large expolsion.i got up
checked on my litte sister. my mum and dad were already up and looking out ofthere window but they couldnt see anything.i opened my curtains and saw blue andred flames.this all was at 6:05 in the morning.i first thought it was an plane ten my mum said it was buncefield.we chucked soem cloths on then went to my nans because all ht electric went died
Name: luke weston
Address: new park drive hemel hempstead
Views: this was one of the worst ever natural disasters ever happenend.
i live just through the alley from the industrial area.the flames carried on and at 6:20 my dad's friend was round our eating bacon sandwiches.the flames were really bright, the smoke changed direction every day. i cannot beleive the blast
would ever go on for that long.my school townsend church of england suffered a lot more damage then any other schools, as you may of heard on the radio 70 parts of my school was damaged including tiles falling down from the roof.after buncefield was put out my family went up to buncefield to look at all the
damage. fuji has suffered so much damage and i hope they can get back to work as soon as they can.you can also see all the tanks laying there half melted. there is still some places where you cannot go down to look at the damage but you can
see enough to know how much damage and how big the disaster was.
Name: Donna
Address: Wood Lane End
Views: Still, 6 wks later I have trouble sleeping, scared of seeing pictures of whats happened!!!!!!!!! I keep looking at pictures I have here taken on the
sunday and days afterwards and still cannot believe it has happened.
Name: luke weston
Address: POYNDERS HILL
Views: this was terrible i was evacuated at 6:05AM IT WAS DEAVASTING BUT LEISURE WORLD TREATED US VERY WELL THEY GAVE US A FREE BOWLING GAME AND A FREE ENTRY TO SWIMMING IT COULD OF COST US AROUND £ 50 TO DO THAT.BUT BUNCEFIELD WAS DEVASTING , I LIVE IN 11 POYNDERS HILL LEVERSTOCK GREEN ARE WINDOWS BLOWN OF IT WAS FREEZING IT WAS LIKE BEING IN ICELAND
Name: ROB
Address: WOODHALL FARM
Views: It is with great interest that I read the comments of people with regards to the Buncfield blast and fire and the future of the oil terminal in
Hemel Hempstead. I think the following points should be considered so people are aware of the
past history and the future of the Buncfield site.
As previously mentioned several times Buncfield was built back in 1968 and was sited a fair distance from most but not all buildings.
The terminal brought with it some MAJOR names into the town I:E Shell, BP, Texaco,and Fina to name a few. I am sure without a doubt that other companies that were not connected with the oil industry who where looking to move into what was then a new town were attracted to and chose Hemel Hempstead because of the big name oil giants that had already sucessfully settled here, perhaps they may have chosen somewhere else if these names were not here. When BP house was built in the eighties and was fully occupied it was a real boost to the local economy with shuttle buses running workers back and forth into the town during there lunch breaks to do there shopping, would this have been built if the the oil terminal was not already in the town? I think not.
If the Buncefield blast had been the result of a terrorist strike would peoples and companies attitudes still be the same with firms still wanting to relocate out of town ?.
Perhaps not, most companies and there employees would be defiant to the terrorists and would want to stay and rebuild bigger and better in the town and
would not be driven out and yet this is an accident with thankfully no loss oflife.
The Health and Safety Executive, oil companies, owners of the site, Fire and
rescue services, Goverment and Local Authority will look very very closely at this incident to ensure nothing like this will ever be allowed to happen again.
There are many products available now to prevent fires and explosions etc and I am sure the oil companies are learning from this blast and would now want to fit these products on all of their installations accross the globe. Perhaps the blast should serve as a wake up call to how complacent developers
and the planning authority have become with the building on every bit of available land.
It would be good to see a reply in your paper from the the local authority planners explaining to the community of Hemel Hempstead why they allowed
Building right up to the Buncefield site.
I guess we're in for a long wait!.
Name: Juergen Stieler
Address: Bad Neuenahr, Germany
Views: People here in Germany were shocked but also very impressed by the bravery and dedication of the firefighters. I want to commemorate this event
with a piece of graphic art and asked the hemel hempstead firestation for some objects from the scene for my special kind of artwork (some kind of "securing of evidence"). The traces that arrived reminded me by their smell of a damage-control-course I took in the navy 20 years ago, when I tried to extiguish burning oil and diesel, felt the heat under my protection gear, blind by the
black smoke...
I can imagine there was the hell. You were great!
Name: colette colls
Address: sawyers way
adeyfield
hemel hempstead
herts
Views: i was just wondering if anybody has done a scrapbook on the buncefielddepot, i have done one but everyone keeps laughing at me
Name: paul grossman
Views: As tanker driver you can appreciate my thoughts on this incident as the closure would mean being unemployed as the thought of working at west london or purfleet is not financially viable to myself and others as it would incur me/others with traveling expenses..but the main point people are missing is that if the local council had put a sensible exclusion zone around the terminal i.e.[1/2 mile like other councils]and not considered the council tax/rates they
would recieve from allowing industrial units to be built so close?...this terminal was built in 1968 and was only fields and also close to the motorway
link?...Also as this is one of the most inportant terminals in this area creating several 100 jobs and supplying garages/companies within a 200 mile
radius..
Name: Alan French.
Address: Bullace Close,
Warners End,
Hemel Hempstead,
Views: With regard to the Buncefield incident.
There are obvious questions emenating concerning this local disaster.
Personally, I think that the future of the town depends on what is decided upon with regard to this oil depot. If it remains in its current location or not, it is imperative that no buildings should be within a reasonable radius of the site. It is in an area that has no reduced hostpital facilities. Nor should it be in a region where other emergency services are being scaled down.
It would sound like that Hemel Hempstead was not the ideal choice.Or was it?
Surely, having decided that Buncefield Lane was rightly or wrongly, the correct spot, I was for some time amazed by the fact that the industrial estate expanded nearer and nearer to the depot. I am amazed that business actually wanted to build that close to it. Thus jeopardizing life, jobs and property. I am also amazed that planning permission was sanctioned. And not all that long ago, a nursery was built not far away.
I can remember voicing my concerns once some years ago on this aspect. A brief, but nasty argument developed between an individual and myself. They felt that the authorities would not allow certain parts of the industrial estate to be built close if it was not safe. I hoped that the day would not come, that would prove which one of us would be right or wrong.
Most people would agree that if the disaster had occurred on a weekday during average working hours, this would have been more catastrophic.
Viewing the scenario from this perspective, we have experienced the lesser of two evils. We have therefore, have had a lucky escape. I think that we should take advantage of this and grab a golden opportunity to review not only the future for that area, but also a serious review of all the emergency services.
Closing down hostpitals amending the operation of the fire and police services to cut costs is not on.
Name: dave
Address: adeyfield hemel hempstead
Views: buncefield depot blast
I think the comments made by our council leader and pm are unjust the depot was in place before the houses were built around it if they dont want it rebuilt were does these views lead to does it mean they would stop houses being built under flight paths as more than 1 plane has fallen out of the sky in the last 40 years.
does it mean they would not allow houses to be built next to roads. does it mean no house building close to railway lines incase a train comes off
the tracks and lands in a garden.
there are risks involved in everything we do everyday in life so lets not get too carried away with what happened true it is a bit of a mess at the moment but then most ACCIDENTS end in a mess
Name: nAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
Views: I have just read some of the comments by people who were apparently not particularly affected by the blast. I have been quite badly affected through serious damage caused to my house and the emotional impact the experience has caused.
My neighbours have suffered even more so, with their houses in some cases being virtually demolished. My house was built in the 1950's and I am aware my neighbour's houses were built many years before that. Clearly the depot should never have been built in the 1960's so close to existing housing. I have recently been made aware of the objections by some of the locals to this
depot being built at that time. Obviously they were ignored. I would not have objected to the depot, as it would be hypocritical bearing in mind I bought this
house knowing it was there. Until this happened. The fact that it has, proves it is dangerous, and it should not be rebuilt so close to residential and
business areas.
Reading some of the previous comments it seems there have been some unsung heroes around this time, particularly the Tesco workers. I cannot believe that the oil depot did not assist at this time. The Fire Fighters did do an excellent job but I, like others am furious that a contigency plan for tackling this blaze QUICKLY was not in place. The simple fact is, the oil depot existed, therefore the owners of the depot should have ensured there was enough foam to hand to use to tackle the blaze and a suitable contignency plan in place to provide their own emergency teams to assist at the site and in providing support to those residents affected. The oil
depot should acknowledge the blame and assist those who have been badly affected as soon as possible.
Name: Lesley Buckoke
Address: Barnfield Hemel Hempstead
Views: I think the fire fighters done a great job, they are hero's and need to be treated as hero's, Saying they were not prepared for such a big explosion,I
dont know of any fire station that can hold 250,000 litres of foam "just in case" it was needed.
As for buncefield the oil depot was built when Hemel Hempstead was a smaller town. None of the houses or factories that have been so badly damaged were
built, the greedy Council are entirely responsible for the carnage resulting from this fire by permitting development of the land right next door.
Name: Sally Ashton
Address: Wood Lane End
Views: We have lived at our address for 22 years. When our boys were younger we would often cycle into the country and pass Buncefield on the way. The boys were always in awe at the size and scale of the depot. It wasnt until we had theats of terrorism, firstly from the IRA that it crossed my mind that
Buncefield would be a soft target. My concerns were not where we lived but the companies, housing and a nursery that have been allowed by the council to be
built so close to the depot. Why should the depot move? Can we learn from the mistakes of the explosion and the Health and Safety enquiry and then decide on the best way forward regarding rebuilding near the site? I would also like to thank the firefighters who worked so hard in very difficult circumstances while we slept and carried on as 'usual'
Name: Robert Peake
Address: Malaga
Spain
Views: So here we are Yes a tragedy has occurred. Yes Hemel Hempstead has suffered from planning disaster The Depot was there long before the housing
surrounding it. So who are the real culprits of this disaster The new town commission or the planners and councillors who permitted the surrounding area to
be developed and not taken into account the potential dangers of an impending disaster.
Name Pat & Carol Stratton
Woodhall Farm
Views: Following the recent explosions at the Buncefield oil depot, of course every one without exception would want to add their thanks to the emergency services for keeping us safe, we would also like to say thank you.
But please remember the oil depot was there before any of the factory units,and until the 11th December had an excellent safety record, when other businesses talk of leaving Hemel Hempstead if the oil terminal is ever rebuilt they would do well to remember that they knew it was there when they moved in, it did not just suddenly appear, Total employ many people in Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding area's and have done for many years, what ever safety measures were in place obviously worked because no one was killed.
We have every sympathy for the people who were affected and the businesses large or small that have suffered as a result of this accident, but there are dangers in every work place which is why risk assesments are carried out, but Total is also a business that will suffer as a result of this possibly for years to come, we are sure that Total will learn from this accident and take steps to ensure that this will never happen again.
Name: MR PRICE
Address: ELSTREE ROAD, WOODHALL FARM, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD.
Views: Remember Buncefield was built back in 1968 when Hemel Hempstead was still a growing new town and was set on its own site a fair distance away from
any factories or offices.
It has provided a great deal of employment over the years for local people and has been a great asset to the town and the local economy and to date has been
free from serious incident.
If a plane crashes at an airport the airport isn't closed for good, insteadlessons are learned from the incident.
The question must be asked why did our local authorirty planning department allow warehousing / offices and small retail units to be built in such a very close proximity to the Bunceield depot compromising the safety of all the personell who work in them. DBC / and the owners of Buncefield must now concentrate on helping the affected
companies return to work whilst still trying to attract new ones into the area.
REMEBER THE BUNCFIELD OIL DEPOT WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PIONEERS OF THE NEW
TOWN.
Name: Peter Grainger
Address: High Street, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, Views: Buncefield oil terminal fire
I am getting aggravated by the constant comments - "Why did they allow an oil depot to be built so close to a town?".
In short - they didn't.
The oil depot was built when Hemel Hempstead was a smaller town. None of the houses or factories that have been so badly damaged were built. Dacorum Borough Council are entirely responsible for the carnage resulting from this fire by permitting development of the land right next door to a ticking time bomb. I wonder if they will ever accept responsibility for such a crass piece of greedy
planning.
And please don't refer to it as an accident - there is no such thing.
Name: Supplied
Address: Supplied
Views: Why would any resident of Hemel want the Oil depot rebuilt? If it is
rebuilt no companies whose offices/warehouses were destroyed will come back to
the estate, those still standing will leave. House prices will drop and if it
happens again people will be killed. Surely it's better to move it somewhere
away from heavily populated areas?
Name: Steve Smith
Address: Orchard End
Rampton
Cambridgeshire
Views: I work for a service provider which is a customer of an organisation based close to the buncefield oil depot. This week has been the most traumatic i have ever experienced in 30 years of
being in business. At the time of the disaster my company was rendered inoperable. I have witnessed staff and directors alike working 24/7 with barely
hours sleep to re establish an infrastructure at whatever cost regardless.
In the aftermath of this disaster my company deserves an explanation as to what was the cause of this disaster and what level of compensation businesses devasted by this tragedy will receive.
Name: MRS L LIPPIATT
Address: ATHELSTAN ROAD, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, Views: I have been extremely surprised to read some of the views relating tothe recent oil depot fire. The depot was built in 1968 with little opposition.
The people now coming forward to complain about the site's location near to their homes and businesses surely realised this when they bought their properties or leased/bought work-space, which in most cases were built after Buncefield. My husband used to be a tanker driver working out of Buncefield and remembers some of the warehousing and offices being built close to the perimiter fences, he was amazed the planners had allowed it. To suggest that the site should be relocated 'miles' from anywhere will be impossible to achieve in the overpopulated built-up South East!
Name: j fird
Address: tile kiln lane
hemel hempstead
Views: why on earth did the council allow factories and home to be put up near the oil depot, what was the planning depart up to allowing it, as the buncefield objected to the plans so why on earth did dacorum council allow them to be built buncefield had been there before the factories so why allow them to be built inside the exclusion zone, is our council mad.
Name: Bob Robinson
Address: Woodhall Farm
Views: Dear Hemel Today
Following the explosion of the Buncefield fuel depot, it is important for us in Hemel Hempstead to consider the future of the Maylands and Buncefield areas.
Hemel Hempstead planners now need to consider whether they want a fuel depot or an Industrial centre in this area as the disaster has shown that both cannot
co-exist.
It is clear that Hemel will loose a number of industries who will need to re-locate elsewhere in order to continue their business and these are unlikely to return. Those industries who remain will have had their confidence of a safe
working area shattered. They will not want to rebuild their businesses if they feel this tradegy may re-occur with terrible consequencies if they are occupied
next time.
We hear of the attention to detail of the safety measures put in place at Buncefield, but this did not prevent the disaster. Such a depot can never be
100% safe with the huge volumes of fuel stored and it is necessary for this depot to be relocated to a more isolated area as is the case for all premises handling explosives. Even here tanks should have a much greater separation than given at Buncefield to prevent interaction from any one tank exploding.
So I urge the Dacorum planning office to take this opportunity, with most of the depot destroyed, to relocate the fuel depot to a much safer area.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the emergency services for a magnificent job done under such terrible conditions. Especially the fire crews
who are real heros for going into that inferno to tackle and put out one the the biggest fires of present time.
Name: John Baldwin
Address: Bedmond Road
Leverstock Green,
Views: Just voted in your poll and note that 49% wish to see Buncefield rebuilt. I presume none of these live in Leverstock Green!
Name: John Locke
Address: Berkhamsted
Views: I would like to add my gratitude to the various Fire & Rescue services that sent their firefighters half way across the nation to help our community with this awful incident. I would also second all those votes of thanks to local
firefighters that persisted in their efforts to deal with it.
I sincerely feel that NOW is the time for the local authorities & oil concerns involved with running the Buncefield terminal to excavate a lake which will
hold AT LEAST 12 Olympic swimming pools volume of water. Something along the lines of the Rickmansworth Aquadrome would serve Buncefield well. When its not serving its primary function ( providing unhindered water supply to all fire &
rescue services ), then the local authorities could exploit it for a sailing & watersports facility. Thus recoup some of that scarce resource that local
councillors, governments & oil companies claim that they have none of, MONEY!
I am amazed that no one had any foresight, or thought that they could cut corners by installing the barest minimium of Emergency Water Supply tanks & pump house. This stood outside the fenceline boundary, across the lane. It could
hardly park two fire pump trucks, let alone serve the terminal itself - what morons on the county council & local councils allowed such a pathetic essential
utility back-up to pass planning consent that they all rave so adamently about?
I also feel that ANYONE that tries to stand in the way of such improved new facilities next to the Terminal, should be rounded up by a volunteer posse (as the police will have their hands already full), at the outbreak of the next fire & ordered at gunpoint to fight the oil fire naked, until their skin & attributes
have been roasted to a healthy lobster red colour of skin tone. Thus they can demonstrate their objections from a good experienced standpoint NOT merely on some pathetic "say-so" about such-&-such. I would also want to see any bodies that can make objection noises, to send their representatives to be collectively stuck under the pile drivers that will be making new water retention walls for the lake, to illustrate the strength of feeling locals should have to their objections.
We now have something of a "clean slate" to work with, let us get it RIGHT this time around. No financial cost restrictions to save pennies, we should become a show case & proud of the enhanced protection that such a terminal should enjoy.
Name: sparticus mole
Address: hertfordshire, email supplied
Views: i have read some of the comments recorded here and just to put the record straight,the fbu did not critisise the fire fighters operation but did
critisise the herts county plan to reduce frontline fire fighters ,lack of training and equipment,roy wilshers(the chief fire officer) outburst was more of
a smokescreen than a defence,he was trying to defend the indefensible,hertfordshire was ill prepared and under equipped but the quality
and committment of the firefighters is suberb,pity the same cannot be said of the herts fire committe.
Name: Supplied
Views: I am sick of hearing on the news that Buncefield should have been built so close to residental,and industrial area.
It was not, it was in the middle of nowhere,but since being built,the council have allowed houses and factories built near it, in fact up to about 6-7 years
ago where the factories are before you get to the oil terminal there where fields there.
I could never understand why the council allowed planning permission for these houses and factories to be built right on the doorstep of a oil terminal.
Name: Michael Stanyon
Address: 3 Acrewood
HH
Views: In my opinion a decision must be made quickly NOT to rebuld Buncefield.
The confidence of Employers and residents alike needs to be re-built which will not happen if the oil terminal is rebuilt.
The consequences of rebuilding Buncefield in its present location is likely to cause an exodus of employers turning Hemel Hempstead into a ghost town within the next two to three years.
I believe that Dacorum Borough Council must immediately declare that they will oppose any planning application to rebuild the site.
Thank goodness it happened when few people were around or the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Name: Dennis Luck
Address: Great Rd
Hemel Hempstead
Views: The Buncefield oil depot has sat in our backyard for the last forty years,
The people of Hemel Hempstead have always been aware of it and have felt uneasy
about its presents, particularly when walking or driving past it.
However this has always been a town that has tried to attract industry and
therefore jobs to this area.
The depot has now blown a very large hole in our town and caused untold hardship
to upwards of 5000 residents.
Where then is the voice of the perpetrators of this disaster, the fabulously
rich oil companies.
Not a sound or gesture has come from them, might I suggest they dig deep in
their very large pockets and provide some Christmas cheer for the affected
residents.
The time has come for them to pack their bags and take their highly volatile
unit elsewhere, apart from providing a few jobs locally they have contributed
nothing to the town since they arrived.
Our excellent local hospital soon to be closed would have benefited enormously
in the past from an injection of cash, and still could. I hope Mike Penning MP
will use this disaster as a platform.
The bombed out residents fighting with insurance companies would also be most
pleased of a helping hand.
It’s your turn now for you to put something back into our community if not go
somewhere else and pollute.
Name: Kevan Debonnaire
Address: Castle Hill, Berkhamsted, Views: How can any right thinking sane individual even consider the idea of
reducing the status of Hemel Hospital. It's oh so easy to say that 'we didn't
need to go into full swing' during the terrible recent incident, but when Hemel
is only a minor accident unit and something catastrophic happens in the
industrial area, the Buncefield site or a major incident on the M1 and the only
option is to navigate the minor, congested, roads to get past the football and
rugby fans and the thousands of shoppers to try and squeeze into Watford
Hospital's ageing buildings who will be answerable?
Hemel Hospital's catchment area is still expanding and the government plans yet
more housing in the area - so let's reduce the Hospital and fire
cover...........!! Does insanity come with the planners job?
Name: Mrs E Jackson
Address: 18 Manning Place
Wigmore
Views:
I can't fully explain the following but one of my beagles, Bramble, has always
had what I would describe as an "extremely sensitive nose" and if any spray,
hairspray or other strong smell permeates a room she races around madly,
sneezing violently and rubbing her nose over the carpet.
We were late to bed last Saturday and let the dogs out for their "last wee" at
1.30am on Sunday morning. Bramble suddenly came running in, racing madly around
the room, sneezing and rubbing her nose on the floor and we assumed she had
found something that had upset her in the garden and thought no more of it. We
went to bed at about 2.00am but Bramble would not settle down for the night.
Unusually for her, she jumped on the bed continually trying to get under the
duvet, sitting up panting, trying to get as close to us as she could, licking
us, going up and down stairs and was restless all through the night. So much so
that we thought Bramble was ill and both of us commented on her really strange
behaviour. This carried on until after the Buncefield explosion when she
quietened down.
We had had no problems with her on the Friday night and have had none since the
explosion. Looking back on Bramble's odd reactions, we firmly believe that she
knew something was wrong and may possibly have smelt a "vapour" in the air.
Until three years ago we lived in Grovehill so she knew the area very well and
could well have sensed something was seriously wrong. Having had dogs all my
life I am convinced they know and understand a lot more than we give them credit
for. If only Bramble could have told us what was worrying her!
Name: Danny Stubbings
Views: After reading this weeks Gazette and Herald Express there is a lot of concern
regarding why the depot was allowed to be built so close to residential andindustrial/commercial buildings. There has been no mention of the fact that thedepot was built before all the buildings that are near it, Fuji, 3com,Northgate, Hales Park, etc.
This is another reason why we should push for a public enquiry to see whyplanning was granted in the first place.
However I now live just off of Highfeild Lane, and formally of Wood End Close I am thankful that the extra industrial units were there to dampen the blast, had they not have been I would imagine the damage to residential property to have been much greater.
Name: Natalie Cleaver
Address: Marlins Turn
Views: I would like to say and I'm sure I'm not alone, that the week prior to
the explosion I noticed a strong smell of petrol coming from the oil depot as I
drove past. I would also like to add that on another occasion also that week, as
I drove past the depot adjacent to the farmer's field, I noticed a large amount
of white foam covering a lot of the farmer's crops and it was also inside the
depot around one of the tanks. It did cross my mind at the time that they must
have problems of some kind with one of the tanks or a leakage hence the use of
the white foam. And if there was such a problem why weren't all the roads sealed
off or shutdown incase of any accidents!?
Name: Richard Lancaster and Maria Harrison
Address: 14 lower emms,hemel hempstead,herts,Hp27sb
Views: Like so many other neibourhoods directly in the firing line of
buncefield,our estate at hunters oak has suffered its share of badly damaged
properties.
Being 3/4 mile over a field its a complete miracle that our house and others
didnt suffer the damage seen by our neibours whose properties face onto the
field and for them we really feel.
I would like to say that since the explosion happend i have spoken to many
neibours i,d never met and their is definatly a neibourhood spirit in our estate
that will enable us all to carry on living so close to buncefield.Especially
knowing that we have the hertfordshire fire service here to look after us
all.well done you.
Name: Tesco's Cafe worker
I work in tesco's cafe and am quite annoyed at the lack of acknowledgement for what me and the rest of the people in my team did last sunday (Team: Rachel Seeby, Megan hetherington, David Nicholls, Jackie Rodgers, Kath Carrol, Becky Jeggo, there were others.
Soon after 10 am 20 firemen came in for cups of tea not knowing that we had been working since 8am preparing lots of food, so we offered them our food, the news travelled fast and soon we were unindated by police, fire and ambulance workers.
Then a man from the red cross came and explained that there was people over in Leisure World who had been evacuated, So we made over 2,000 sausage and bacon baps for them. Rachel Seeby and Kath Carrol got in theambulance and took them
over to Leisure and continued handing out the food until they had all gone. Also we donated over 1,000 krispy kreme doughnuts, 15 boxes of toblerone.
At 4pm Tesco's closes but the cafe stayed open and carried on cooking for the emergency services as most of the evacuues had already been taken to local hotels. We also walked around the store with some of the firemen and donated
100's of pounds worth of food and oil, milk etc so they could carry on cooking throughout the night. (£200 just on minced pies) 20 loaves of bread, 20 packs of 16 eegs etc) COMPLETELY FOR FREE. We finished working at 9.40 exhausted after nearly a 12hour day of nonstop cooking.
We must have made well over 5,000 bacon and sausage baps/rolls and what felt like thousands of Teas and coffees. It was never mention in any newspapers of
the amount of genorosity that Tesco's gave, or the workers in Tesco's Cafe.
(Rachel Seeby was filmed handing out doughnuts and it was on BBC 1 a few times.
We're so proud for helping out 100's of people and we would do it again with a drop of a hat.
Name: zoe sykes
Address: leverstock green
hemel hempstead
Views: Re Buncefield Disaster.
I was extremely dissappointed to hear the Union of Firefighters taking the opportunity to criticise the fire service following the recent disaster. Surely
blame should be directed towards the Oil Companies for NOT installing enough safety precautions and also the Dacorum Planning Department for allowing
buildings to be built so close to such a potentially dangerous area. If the oil companies had listened to the fire service and installed proper safety standards
then the scale of this might have been reduced ( money I'm sure would have been an reason not too ), or if the planning department had not allowed building so close to the depot then they might have been able to handle the situation as
they do in the middle east or america where buildings are not "on their doorstep" !!
Surely this calls into question the suggested closure of the Hemel Hempstead casualty department aswell.
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