Monitoring PFAS contamination at the Hillhouse industrial estate

Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire

The Hillhouse industrial estate has been a site of fluorochemical production since the 1950s — first under ICI, then under AGC Chemicals Europe from 1999. PFAS contamination has been detected in local soil, water, and food.

This site brings together publicly available data from Environment Agency permits, academic research, council investigations, and food safety assessments. On 5 March 2026, Occupation Road Allotments became the first site formally concluded to meet Contaminated Land criteria under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act. Where information is missing or incomplete, we say so.

98.6% of soil samples showed elevated PFAS levels (287 of 291 — Wyre Council Phase 2, 2024)

178 tonnes of PFOA discharged from the Hillhouse site between the 1950s and 2012, under ICI then AGC (historical figures reported to the Environment Agency)

~800 kg/year of EEA-NH4 (a replacement fluorochemical) currently discharged to the River Wyre under Environment Agency permit (Guardian/Watershed, 2023)

Group 1 carcinogen PFOA classified as "carcinogenic to humans" by WHO/IARC, November 2023

Egg advisory FSA advised against eating locally produced eggs within 1km of the estate (Wyre Council, February 2026)

First contaminated land designation Occupation Road Allotments formally concluded to meet Part 2A Contaminated Land criteria — based on PFOA found in soil and produce. First such classification in the Hillhouse investigation (Wyre Council, 5 March 2026)

About this site: Hillhouse Watch is an independent, volunteer-run effort to compile publicly available information about PFAS contamination at the Hillhouse estate. We are not affiliated with any company, regulator, or legal firm. If you have information that corrects or adds to what's here, please get in touch.