Care home demolition cost to rise

Care home demolition cost to rise

1 January 2013

THE bill to remove asbestos from a former health care building targeted by arsonists in Downpatrick could cost taxpayers £250,000.

The former St. John’s House care home in Pound Lane was destroyed in a malicious blaze last October.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working closely with the South Eastern Trust — which owns the building — as the painstaking work to remove fragments of asbestos continues.

It was believed that asbestos sheeting used to create fire breaks in the roof of the former care home and more asbestos located in a boiler room had been destroyed during the blaze which took fire fighters over 12 hours to extinguish.

But the Health and Safety Executive is leaving nothing to chance as St. John’s House is close to a number of homes in John Street and St. Dillon’s Avenue continues.

Scaffolding has been erected around the building to support a huge tent-like structure which covers it completely. Inside, specialist asbestos removal contractors wearing boiler suits and surgical masks are carefully removing debris.

It is understood that regular air monitoring tests are also being carried out in the Pound Lane area as the work to prepare the building for demolition continues.

An HSE spokesman said the organisation was aware of the proposed demolition work. He also explained that it was normal procedure to remove any asbestos prior to demolition.

“It was planned to remove the asbestos from this building but, unfortunately, a fire took place in October last year before the asbestos was removed,” said the spokesman.

“As a result of the fire, a large area became contaminated with asbestos, creating a more complex asbestos removal job.”

Meanwhile, a Trust spokeswoman said it was too early to confirm the exact cost of removing the asbestos.

“We are working with the HSE to prepare the building for demolition and are complying with the advice received to ensure the site is properly decontaminated,” she said.

“Due to the nature of the work involved in decontaminating the site, it is not possible to provide costings at this stage until the work is completed.”

A spokeswoman for the South Eastern Health Trust said the former care home will be bulldozed once the decontamination work has been completed.

Work is currently underway to demolish the former Pound Lane health clinic which was targeted by arsonists and vandals.