Medway-based company Asbestos First has received planning approval to operate an asbestos waste transfer station in Chatham, Kent.

Planning permission was granted by the Planning Inspectorate (on behalf of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government), on 10 March 2014.

In order to encourage the ‘safe disposal’ of asbestos, and in a bid to reduce the practice of flytipping this hazardous material, Asbestos First has announced that it will not impose a minimum weight restriction at the waste transfer station, which is to be built at a former Highways Depot in North Dane Way, Lordswood. As such, it is hoped that more contractors handling ‘small loads of asbestos-containing materials’ (ACMs) will be able to use the site.

The facility will enable Asbestos First to accept up to 10 tonnes of small removals a day, while on-site sealed skips will be used for larger deposits.

It is thought that the decision to forgo a minimum weight requirement was a key reason the company achieved planning approval, as the Planning Inspectorate ‘recognised the lack of asbestos waste facilities within Kent for those managing small quantities of waste materials’. Currently, there are two transfer stations and one landfill site in Kent that accept ACMs, all of which operate a minimum charge based on weight.

‘Reducing the cost of asbestos waste disposal’

Speaking of the planning permission being approved, Asbestos First Managing Director Debbie Hales said: “The cost of ACM disposal in this area was becoming a serious burden for many smaller organisations.

“On several occasions, we were contacted by maintenance contractors who couldn’t find a cost-effective way to dispose of their asbestos-containing waste. The waste transfer station will reduce the cost of asbestos waste disposal, especially for builders with, for example, two asbestos-containing toilet cisterns. It will also ensure that the material is handled safely, as detailed by the HSE [Health and Safety Executive].”

She added: “We are happy to be extending this service throughout the South East. It is essential that property owners, small builders and larger organisations understand that ACMs must be handled and disposed of by specialists who have the equipment and understanding to provide a safe and fully monitored solution.”

Asbestos First is now applying for an environmental permit for the site, and if granted, will open the site ‘this summer’.

According to HSE, asbestos-related diseases kill more people than any other single work-related cause. The material is a hazard to health, especially when asbestos fibres become airborne as they can cause ‘serious damage to the lungs and cause cancer’.

Information on the safe handling and disposal of asbestos can be found on the HSE’s website.