Update: Asbestos delay to Welwyn Hatfield town hall revamp
A MAJOR facelift at Welwyn Hatfield's town hall has been set back nearly three months, after the discovery of asbestos. The deadly material has been found in wall coatings and duct linings at the Campus East offices in WGC. The building is undergoing a re
A MAJOR facelift at Welwyn Hatfield's town hall has been set back nearly three months, after the discovery of asbestos.
The deadly material has been found in wall coatings and duct linings at the Campus East offices in WGC.
The building is undergoing a refurbishment as part of a �3.9m two-phase project to comply with health and safety, and disability legislation.
Work started in May last year and was due to take 56 weeks - but will now not be completed until the autumn.
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A council spokeswoman said: "The ongoing refurbishment faces a setback of nine weeks, due to the discovery of three types of asbestos in the building.
"The Health and Safety Executive was notified and an entire building survey was conducted.
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"Subsequent asbestos removal and disposal was undertaken by a licensed asbestos removal company, using appropriate protective equipment.
"Plaster wall linings were removed and floor screeds taken up.
"The asbestos removal was essential to safeguard the health of the contractor's workforce and members of the public using the building.
"The works carried out will also protect any employees housed within the building in the future against the harmful effects that can be caused by asbestos."
It is not the first time renovation of the council's HQ has been blighted by the discovery of asbestos. The first phase of the project, in 2002, ran �700,000 over its original �1.7m budget because of additional work caused by its removal.
But the spokeswoman told the WHT there would be no extra costs incurred this time round.
"The project is still within budget as asbestos was anticipated in the contingency," she added.
