Asbestos Removal in Bradford

Found asbestos in a Bradford home? Start here

Bradford grew on wool. It built row after row of stone terraces and back-to-backs for the mill workers, and Manningham, Girlington, Great Horton and Bradford Moor are full of them. Many were modernised between the 1950s and the 1980s with the materials that carried asbestos: textured ceilings, floor tiles, garage roofs and pipe insulation. The mill conversions around the centre and Little Germany are a job of their own, because the old industrial linings and the newer fit-out can both hold it. What you do next depends on the material, not on the age of the building.

• Leave it alone until you know what it is. Material in good condition that nobody touches is low risk. The danger comes from breaking it up.
• It cannot go in the household bin. Asbestos is hazardous waste. Bradford has a route for small amounts of cement asbestos, set out further down this page.

Every HSE licensed contractor covering West Yorkshire

The register lists eleven companies holding a Health and Safety Executive asbestos licence with a registered address in West Yorkshire. Most are in and around Leeds, and one is based in Bradford itself. They all cover Bradford. The licence number and expiry date come straight from the HSE register, so you can check any firm yourself in about thirty seconds.

10 of the 11 hold a standard licence, which is the type that covers removal. One firm here holds a maintenance licence rather than a standard one: Thermac (Hire) Limited in Leeds. A maintenance licence is narrower, covering short duration maintenance rather than full removal, so ask directly whether your job falls inside it.

Two things on this list worth knowing

• Most of the firms are Leeds-side. Bradford has few of its own. Expect a firm from Leeds, Batley or Cleckheaton to quote and travel in. That is normal and does not change the price much.
• Keep an eye on the expiry dates. None of the West Yorkshire firms hold a licence expiring in the next 6 weeks. A licence coming up for renewal does not mean anything is wrong. If you are booking work for the autumn, ask about it.

Getting rid of small amounts in Bradford

Bradford takes cement asbestos from households at one site, the Bowling Back Lane recycling centre. You book it first and you take it yourself.

• It is cement asbestos only. The harder types, like insulating board and lagging, are not accepted and need a licensed firm.
• You book in advance and give at least a day’s notice. Deliveries are Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. Households only, no trade waste.
• It must be wrapped in two layers of strong plastic and taped, and it has to be easy to carry and fit through a metre-square opening. You load it into the skip yourself.

Check the current rules on the council’s asbestos page before you go, because these change.

Bradford’s mills are why the risk is here

Bradford was the centre of the wool trade. The mills ran on steam. The engines, boilers and pipework were lagged with asbestos. The men who worked around them are part of the reason Yorkshire sits above the national rate. Mesothelioma can take decades to appear. Today’s figures reflect work done a generation ago.

• Yorkshire and the Humber: 60.7 deaths per million. Above the national figure.
• Great Britain as a whole: 55.9.

Figures from the HSE’s mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain. The HSE says the highest risk today is to people who worked in the building trades while asbestos was in use. In Bradford that means the older housing.

What removal is likely to cost in Bradford

The material and how easy it is to reach decide the price, not the city. A cement garage roof in good order is the cheap end. Artex, floor tiles and small amounts of board are the middle. Sprayed coatings and pipe lagging are the expensive end, because they need a sealed enclosure. For a full breakdown of what drives the price, see our guide to asbestos removal cost.

Asbestos removal in Bradford: questions people ask

Can I take asbestos to the tip in Bradford?

Yes, cement asbestos only, at the Bowling Back Lane recycling centre. You book at least a day ahead, wrap it in two layers of taped plastic, and take it Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm.

Does Bradford Council remove asbestos?

No. The council takes wrapped cement asbestos for disposal. It does not test, survey or remove anything. Removal is a job for a licensed firm.

How many licensed firms cover Bradford?

11 hold a current licence across West Yorkshire. Most are Leeds-side and they all cover Bradford. Your choice is wider than the firms with a Bradford postcode.

When was asbestos banned in the UK?

Blue and brown asbestos were banned in 1985 and white in 1999. Almost any Bradford house built or refitted before 2000 can hold it.

Getting a quote from a Bradford contractor

Not in Bradford? See the full county list for Leeds and West Yorkshire, or every area we cover.