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Higher levels of asbestos than expected found in Salisbury car park

Precautionary measures taken following the discovery

Author: Henrietta CreaseyPublished 17th Dec 2020
Last updated 17th Dec 2020

Asbestos was found while soil samples were collected in the Maltings and central car park area to help inform future works on the site as part of the River Park project.

Wiltshire Council says while they expected to find asbestos the level was "slightly higher than anticipated."

Precautionary measures have been taken in the event of a greater amount of asbestos being discovered with some contractors wearing PPE and chemical showers on site too.

Wiltshire Council says there's no risk to the public from the investigations or any further work.

Areas that are being investigated will be fenced off.

Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire Council, says people shouldn't be worried.

"We would like to reassure local people that the actions taken by the Environment Agency are purely precautionary and there is no risk to the general public. It is not unusual for asbestos to be found on a site such as this and appropriate measures have been put in place to safely manage the asbestos and enable the work to carry on. The work will continue to be monitored and further action will be taken if necessary."

Work will continue on site until Friday 18 December, and will then restart in early January for one to two weeks.

WHAT IS ASBESTOS?

  • It's a group of natural minerals made up of fine, durable fibres
  • It was once widely used as a building material from the 50s to the 90s.
  • If you breathe in these fibres, they can damage your lungs.
  • A full ban on asbestos products in UK construction industry came into force in 1999.
  • Figures from the Health and Safety Executive show there are over 5,000 asbestos-related disease deaths per year

WHAT WORK WAS BEING CARRIED OUT WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED

The investigations are part of wider plans for the Salisbury River Park project.

This graphic shows how the River Park scheme will bring huge changes to the area

The project aims to alleivate flooding in the city and provide more green space.

It's currently out for consultation and you can find out more on Wiltshire Council's website.

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