Asbestos

Whilst there has been a recent relaxation of planning laws designed to speed up the process for developers, there is still a multitude of considerations to deal with around planning. There can be tight controls in conservation areas for example.

As part of the Prime Ministers drive to boost the economy, Boris Johnson has initiated changes to the current planning laws which come into effect in September. The overhaul to the planning system has been long awaited and arguably overdue. The changes that will take effect in September include allowing many commercial buildings to change to residential use without a planning application.

This is a comprehensive appraisal of a business or piece of land undertaken by a prospective buyer. It is an investigation that a business or persons should undertake to establish assets and liabilities and evaluate its commercial potential. It encompasses all spheres of life but has become particularly pertinent when applying to land purchases. As more businesses understand the term sustainability, this is especially relevant when making commercial real estate investments as professionals are demanding transparency and assurance that purchases are environmentally sustainable.

Asbestos was a material that was widely used within construction and other major industries in the UK for a long period of time. As the towns and cities that we know today took shape in the late 1800s through to post-war Britain, asbestos was extensively used in many different areas. It was a substance that occurred naturally, could be mined in a relatively cost-effective way, ...

We all know about the risks attached to asbestos in buildings that were constructed before the UK-wide ban came into practice back in 1999. Understanding the need for assistance from a licensed asbestos management company will help you to come to terms with how to remain safe at all times when faced with potential disruption of asbestos-containing materials in a building. This ...

We still experience a large number of deaths every year in the UK as a result of exposure to asbestos. Even though it has been fully banned in this country since 1999 and some types of asbestos were banned decades prior to that even, it is still present in many different buildings that were constructed prior to the banning orders. If you come across asbestos in a building that ...

If you are the person legally responsible for the management of a building, you’ll understand that there are many different aspects of health and safety that concern you on a daily basis. 

Asbestos and asbestos containing materials can be deadly when disturbed and asbestos fibres are released into the air. It only takes one instance of exposure to asbestos for a person to become ill with a life-changing (and often deadly) asbestos-related illness. That is why it is so important to understand whether there is asbestos present when a building is to undergo refurbishment or demolition.

If you are the owner of a commercial property, or you are in the process of buying a commercial property, you may be the person legally responsible for managing any asbestos present at the property.

If you are the person responsible for the management of a commercial building, or you own a domestic (or commercial) property, and you are worried that asbestos might be present, it is important that you immediately look to rectify the problem.