Council spends £600k on removing asbestos from Barnsley homes

At a cabinet meeting yesterday (August 16), council members accepted the plans to allocate £1.5m for the “Fire Safety Budget”, £600k for removing spandrel panels and an additional £600k for removing asbestos in Wombwell, Darfield and Royston.

A supporting document stated that of the £1.5m, thousands would be spent on surveys including three surveys at Albion, Buckley and Britannia Houses in the town centre for £4,440 each, improvements to the bin storage areas at £3,300 and 164 fire doors will also be replaced, costing approximately £2,000 each.

The sum will also be enough to cover the change of fire and smoke alarms in 71 homes.

£600,000 was approved for the removal of spandrel panels in 56 blocks of flats and another £600,000 will be spent on clearing asbestos in the lofts of 58 homes on the Aldham House Lane estate, 20 lofts in the Wombwell/Darfield area and 40 lofts in the Royston area.

The proposed Building Safety works for 2023/24 will be managed by Berneslai Homes Building Safety Team and the planned works are expected to be completed over a two-year period.