Question 1

Learn more about Asbestos Removal in West London

Accepted Answer

West London is an area rich with history. From its landmark white-clad architecture in South Kensington, to the more colourful bohemia of Notting Hill, most of West London’s buildings standing today were built during the 18th and 19th century. Naturally, with older buildings come beautiful unique features like the wooden flooring, high ceilings, asbestos and original banisters. One of those things was not a feature and needs to be removed.

If you are reading this article then you are probably concerned about an asbestos issue in your home, office or any other commercial building . Some of you may even be asking “why is there asbestos in a 19th century building in West London?”.
Interestingly, most of the larger old properties in West London were laterally divided into individual flats to create maisonettes in the mid 20th-century. During that building process, many of the new partition walls in homes were insulated with asbestos, since it was the most common material to use during that time. In the 21st century, we now know asbestos to be an incredibly dangerous material and when considering organising an asbestos removal we understand that you need one that needs to be prompt, asbestos removal also requires professional experience.

If you need help removing asbestos from your building in West London Get in touch.

Question 2

How dangerous is asbestos?

Accepted Answer

Dangerous. Despite being made from a naturally occurring material that’s extracted by mining, asbestos is one of the most hazardous materials that can be found in older households. Asbestos itself is not harmful to touch, but old asbestos breaks down when handled, and aggravated it produces fine silicate fibres in its dust that inhaling or ingesting can cause serious detrimental health consequences, which may not become apparent for many years after exposure to asbestos containing materials.

Question 3

How to check for asbestos?

Accepted Answer

Firstly, asbestos was banned as a building material in the UK in 1999, so any West London building constructed this century will not contain asbestos within its walls. Otherwise, asbestos was most commonly used for insulation, but can also be found in guttering, adhesive floor tiles, and mid-century outbuildings. There are even trace amounts in the weird swirly patterns on old ceilings called artex. If you are staring at the ceiling worried about how much asbestos is in the artex, it’s only a stabilized tiny amount that should not pose an issue unless you are completely redecorating.

If you suspect that you have asbestos in your home or on your work premises you can call the local council or environmental health for advice and help to identify the amount and type of asbestos on the property. As a rule, you should treat all unidentified asbestos materials as high risk until an asbestos surveyor or environmental health representative confirms otherwise, and you should only attempt to carry out any form of asbestos removal yourself as a last resort. Even low risk materials should be treated by trained professionals to prevent any risks to health and safety.

Question 4

Asbestos removal cost

Accepted Answer

The cost of asbestos collection from a property depends on the quantity and type of asbestos that needs removing from the premises. While householders can legally remove asbestos from within their homes, it is always advisable to seek outside help or at least get the opinion of a qualified surveyor before undertaking any type of asbestos removal.

The following is a rough estimate of the price of the more common scenarios where clients need asbestos removal services:

- Bungalow roof £2000-£2500+VAT
- Garage roof £1000-£1500+VAT
- Ventilation pipe £350+VAT per meter
- Bungalow guttering and rainwater pipes £1000+VAT

Free asbestos removal is also provided by the City of London council for small amounts of materials containing asbestos found within residential properties, and this service is subsidised by the Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal Service for council tax paying residents.

Question 5

How is asbestos removed?

Accepted Answer

The methods for removing asbestos can vary depending on the material it is contained within and the risk level that it presents. Householders who have small amounts of asbestos at home may legally be allowed to remove it themselves, however hiring professional asbestos collection from licensed waste carriers is the safest way to ensure that materials are handled and disposed of correctly.

Non-licensed work with asbestos can be carried out in accordance with The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who have a web page showing some examples of removal and maintenance work that can be performed by unlicensed businesses and individuals.

In a lot of cases, however, it is widely recommended that you should not attempt to remove asbestos by yourself unless you have many years of experience working with the substance or are fully qualified to do so.

Materials containing asbestos that are considered low risk can be removed by someone without a license, although specific training and removal protocol must still be followed to minimise risk. Harmful materials can also be cleared using an asbestos waste skip, although it still requires careful wrapping before being placed in the container, which should have a lockable lid.

At Wayst, we only work with trusted asbestos removal partners who have full asbestos safety training, work to strict environmental and health and safety standards such as the guidance outlined in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Question 6

Asbestos awareness

Accepted Answer

All waste carriers collecting asbestos need to provide a waste transfer note and if from commercial properties they must also provide a consignment note for the waste, even if it is a small amount of ‘non-notifiable’ asbestos from a private premises that would otherwise not require a license to remove. Asbestos surveyors and other trained personnel should always be consulted prior to the removal of asbestos in commercial settings and the regulations place responsibilities upon employers, employees, and duty holders (the people in charge of the building). Some of the more important regulations of the Control of Asbestos include the responsibility of asbestos management, as well as the responsibility to identify and locate asbestos in any non-domestic building.

All high-risk work with asbestos (including when the work is prolonged as it can create lots of dust especially when it is carried out indoors) must be performed by a licensed asbestos disposal company. Nonetheless, not all work is licensable, and some tasks can be carried out by non-licensed individuals and businesses.

If you wish to remove asbestos yourself, make sure to speak to your local council. They may be able to advise you regarding the measures you will need to take to remove the substance safely, as well as where the material can be disposed of. However, it is highly advisable that you get in touch with asbestos disposal experts who are experienced and licensed in the testing of materials and asbestos removal.

Question 7

What you need to know about West London

Accepted Answer

West London is generally considered to be the largest commercial district north of the River Thames, and is defined as an international centre of business and commerce by the City of London. It contains some of the most desirable and affluent neighborhoods in the city such as Knightsbriddge, Chelsea, kensington and Ladbroke Grove, as well as up and coming areas like Acton and Brentford, which have seen plenty of regeneration in recent years and an increase in property value in these areas. Historically significant buildings in the immediate area include Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster, and there are many stately homes and gardens open to the public throughout west London such as Osterley, Gunnersbury and Boston Manor. The official boroughs of West London are Harrow, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond Upon Thames and Hillingdon. West London has a surprisingly large amount of open green space owing to its royal parks considered to be areas of conservation and natural beauty. Places to see wildlife include Bushy Park and Richmond, where deer roam freely, and Holland Park with its resident peacocks. There is also the London Wetland Centre in Barnes, and Ruislip Lido which has its own artificial beach.

Question 8

What are the different ways to dispose of waste in West London?

Accepted Answer

There are several large scale waste management operations in west London offering domestic waste services, commercial waste services, and office clearance services in the surrounding areas. Dedicated waste transfer companies operating in west London can offer rubbish removal and clearance services for home, office and commercial premises costing anywhere between £60 and £400. They also recycle up to 80% of all refuse collected. Other services from waste transfer companies in the area include full and part load prices, skip hire and man and van from between £40 and £250. All operators are required by law to be fully licensed and insured to collect and transfer waste so it is always advisable to check the public register at environment.data.gov.uk before booking an independent contractor.

Question 9

Where are the nearest recycling centres in West London

Accepted Answer

The borough council reuse and recycling centres/tips are the most economical rubbish removal option for west Londoners, however it should be noted that visiting the sites requires residents to be fully compliant with the policies and procedures at the various council operated facilities, and load and transport rubbish to the sites independently. Some reuse and recycling centre staff might be able to offer assistance to residents unloading their vehicles, however it is best to make sure you can safely lift and carry rubbish yourself as there is no guarantee that staff will be available on the day to assist with manual handling of refuse. For residents in Harrow their nearest council operated tip is in HA3, while Hillingdon residents can use the civic amenity in Harefield, and the Weekend Waste facility in west Drayton. Ealing council provides a list of neighbourhood recycling sites throughout the borough by area and subcategory, and Brent council lists all 33 recycling sites in the borough on their website. Richmond council provide a list of community reuse and recycling schemes in the borough, and Hounslow council have detailed guides on their website as part of their strategy for a ‘Cleaner Greener Hounslow’ so that residents know exactly what to do with recyclable and residual waste materials. There is also a large privately owned recycling and recovery facility in Hayes, which is used by residents, local councils and businesses.

Question 10

What rubbish collection services are available in West London?

Accepted Answer

West London boroughs offer general and recyclable waste collection to residents, in addition to subscription garden waste collection, and some hazardous waste collection services such as clinical waste collection of sharps. Local authorities in West London also provide a standard aid for service for the collection of bulky waste and/or furniture at competitive prices, although it can take between 4-6 weekends for items to be collected.

Need help with a waste clearance in West London? Get in touch

Question 11

How is the local authority in West London handling your waste?

Accepted Answer

West London borough councils provide information on their websites detailing how recyclable materials like plastics and cans, and organic matter like food waste can be recycled and composted by using in vessel composting and anaerobic digestion, which produces fuel, electricity and fertiliser. Plastic gets shredded, washed melted and reformed into pellets and aluminium cans which are divided into metal types using magnets, are made into metal blocks before being heated and rolled into sheets to be made into cans once again. The West London Waste Authority has 3 separate waste transfer stations in south ruislip, Brent and Brentford and collectively they handle over 300,000 tonnes of waste annually. There is also information on the WLWA website which states that up to 96% of waste from west London is either taken to the energy recovery facility at Heathrow Airport, or Severnside Energy Recovery Centre just outside Bristol.

West London Council's Waste Management Performance:

· Overall annual spend on waste management by the council £72,160,084
· Broken down per resident £65
· Landfill rate 44.58%
· Reuse and recycling rate 55.42%

Question 12

What are the plans for a greener future in West London?

Accepted Answer

The response to climate change is part of the statutory framework for The London Plan, which is the planning strategy for greater London that aims to improve health and sustainable development throughout the city, and has been adopted by The West London Waste Authority, made up of all 6 west London boroughs. The WLWA plan has been established in accordance with the London Plan to satisfy national regulations for waste management and operates 3 waste transfer stations responsible for providing facilities to receive waste from households and waste recycling centres, transport of recycling and disposal of waste, and storage and disposal of abandoned vehicles.

Hounslow also has an action plan on their website for urban greening throughout the borough and have launched a green recovery initiative related to the greener borough framework and the climate emergency plan. Hillingdon Council organise community litter picks in the borough and Richmond borough council have a climate emergency action plan to become carbon neutral by 2030 including improving the circular economy for residents within the borough.

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