Asbestos Removal in Derby and Derbyshire

Found asbestos in Derby? Do this before you ring anyone

Derby’s housing runs from the Victorian terraces around Normanton and Pear Tree through to the post war estates at Mackworth, Chaddesden and Sinfin. The terraces usually hide it in later work rather than the original build: textured ceilings, floor tiles, boiler flues and garage roofs added in the sixties and seventies. The estates and the low rise blocks are where the higher risk materials turn up, because insulating board and pipe lagging were standard then. Derby also has a lot of light industrial and workshop space, where sprayed coatings and boiler lagging are more common than in any house.

Every HSE licensed asbestos contractor covering Derbyshire

There are twelve firms holding a licence here. The trade association directory most people land on shows fewer, because you only appear there if you pay a membership. Neither list is wrong. One is just longer.

11 of the 12 hold a standard licence, and that is the type that covers removal.

Three things on the Derbyshire list worth knowing

• Most of these firms are registered outside Derby itself. Ilkeston has three, Chesterfield has two and Glossop has two, with the rest spread across Alfreton, Buxton, Ripley and Swadlincote. So most firms quoting you for a Derby job are travelling in, and travel time will show up in the price. That is normal rather than a sign you are being overcharged.
• Not every firm here removes asbestos. One firm here holds a scaffolding licence, not a removal one: High Peak Scaffolding Limited in Buxton. A scaffolding licence covers putting up and taking down scaffold around asbestos work, not removing anything, so those are not who you ring about a garage roof.

Getting rid of small amounts in Derby

Derby and Derbyshire run separate tips under separate rules, so the same bag of asbestos cement is treated differently depending on which side of the city boundary you live on. Check which applies to you before you load the car.

Inside Derby, Raynesway is the site. Derby City Council accepts small amounts of bonded asbestos from minor repairs to roofs and guttering, up to three sheets or panels per calendar year. Loose fibres, large amounts and anything from a business are refused. Visits from Monday to Saturday must be booked in advance and the council says you will be turned away without a booking. Sunday visits need no booking. The permit is free and each household gets twelve visits a year.

Outside the city, the county tips charge for it. Derbyshire County Council accepts a maximum of two sheets, or two metres of pipe, from minor repair work to roofs and guttering. It is a one time allowance rather than an annual one, and there is a charge of six pounds per sheet or equivalent volume, payable by card only. Tell the site staff you have asbestos when you arrive rather than joining the ordinary queue.

Both councils ask for the same handling. Dampen the material with water before you lift or move it. Double wrap it in plastic sheeting or bags and tape the wrapping closed so no fibres can escape. Do not break or cut it to make it fit a bag, because breaking it is the thing that releases the fibres.

Anything more than those small allowances goes to a licensed contractor. Derbyshire County Council says so plainly on its own page.

Where the East Midlands sits on mesothelioma

• East Midlands: 53.1 deaths per million
• Great Britain as a whole: 55.9

Slightly below the national figure, and well below the North East at 72.6. Derby’s exposure came from railway workshops and heavy engineering rather than shipyards, which is the industry that drives the highest regional rates.

Below average is not low. Fifty three deaths per million is still a serious number, and the HSE says the people most at risk today are those who worked in the building trades while asbestos was in use, carpenters, plumbers and electricians. The exposure that matters now happens in ordinary houses, not factories.

Figures from the HSE’s mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain.

What asbestos removal in Derby is likely to cost

Derby sits below the national average on labour, so expect prices under the London and South East figures. Where the city adds cost is access. Terraced streets with no rear vehicle access, shared entries and upper floor flats all add time, and time is what you are paying for.

Asbestos removal in Derby: questions people ask

Can I take asbestos to the tip in Derby?

Yes, at Raynesway, up to three sheets or panels a year, double wrapped and taped. Book first if you are going Monday to Saturday, because you will be turned away without a booking.

Why am I being charged when my neighbour is not?

Because Derby city and Derbyshire county run separate tips. The city allowance is free, up to three sheets a year. The county allowance is two sheets, once, at six pounds a sheet. The rules follow the tip you use, not the material.

Will the council remove asbestos from my house?

No. Both councils deal with disposal of small amounts only, not identification or removal. Council tenants should go through their landlord rather than arranging anything privately.

How many licensed contractors are near me?

12 hold a current licence with a Derbyshire address. Firms based in Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire also work across Derby, so your real choice is wider than the table.

Getting a quote from a Derby contractor

Both councils change their tip rules and charges from time to time, so check the current position with Derby City Council or Derbyshire County Council before relying on any of this, including ours.

Firms in the neighbouring counties quote for this work routinely. If you want to widen the field, see the licensed contractors covering Stoke and Staffordshire and Leicester and Leicestershire.

Not in Derby? See every area we cover.