Councillor calls two-year wait for Synthite fire investigation findings “unacceptable”
A Flintshire councillor has called the two-year wait for the results of an investigation into the Synthite fire in Mold “an unacceptable delay”.
Cllr David Coggins Cogan wants Flintshire County Council’s chief executive, Neil Cockerton, to press Natural Resources Wales (NRW) over its investigation into the blaze at the chemical plant on Denbigh Road, which remains unfinished more than two years on.
The fire on 30 April 2024 led to multiple explosions, and residents were warned to keep windows and doors closed.
Synthite initially said no chemicals had been released, but around 50 dead fish were later found in the River Alyn and NRW confirmed traces of formaldehyde, a chemical produced at the plant, in the water.
A report to councillors in May 2025 said the accident was being investigated by NRW and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as the joint regulator for sites handling dangerous substances.
Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, Cllr Coggins Cogan said: “This investigation has been taking two years. I think it’s an unacceptable delay.”
“I understand that NRW were under-resourced and they have their own issues, however, I do think it caused a lot of concern at the time.”
He also criticised the explanation originally given to the council that pollution entering the river was runoff from water used by fire engines, saying it was foreseeable that water would be used to put out a fire at the site.
He said: “The site should be robust enough to either contain the water that’s used or we accept that there will be runoff.”
“It can’t be that we just accept that the water takes the pollution into the river, and then that’s the end of it.”
Committee chair Cllr Bill Crease offered to meet Cllr Coggins Cogan after the meeting to agree what should go into a formal letter, which he would then take to the chief executive.
Officers told the meeting the matter was already being actively pursued by the council’s emergency planning team, which has a meeting with NRW and the HSE in the near future and will push for a response as soon as possible.
The May 2025 report also said the initial NRW investigation phase had been completed and the case file was close to ready for the NRW legal team.
It said the fire service’s own investigation had been submitted to the HSE in March 2025, and that NRW had secured environmental improvement at the Synthite site since the incident.
In response, a spokesperson for NRW said: “Our investigation into the incident at Synthite, Mold, in April 2024 remains ongoing.”
“As this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment in detail at this stage in order to avoid prejudicing any potential regulatory or enforcement action.”
“We recognise the importance of providing timely updates and will share further information as soon as it is appropriate to do so.”
“Any updates are subject to the progress of the investigation and any legal considerations.”
“We understand the concerns raised about the time taken and the desire for quicker answers. However, it is essential that our investigation is thorough, evidence-led, and capable of supporting any necessary regulatory action.”
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