Found asbestos in a Milton Keynes home? Start here

Milton Keynes went up fast in the 1970s and 1980s. Those were the peak years for asbestos in building. The system-built estates at Netherfield, Coffee Hall, Beanhill and Fullers Slade used it. So did thousands of ordinary houses of that era, in insulating board, textured ceilings, soffits and garage roofs. The older towns that MK grew around, Bletchley, Wolverton, Newport Pagnell and Stony Stratford, hold the earlier version in their Victorian and interwar housing. What you do next depends on the material, not on the age of the house.

• 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. Milton Keynes takes small amounts at one site, set out further down this page.

Every HSE licensed contractor covering Buckinghamshire

The register lists 2 companies holding a Health and Safety Executive asbestos licence with a Buckinghamshire address, and one of them is in Milton Keynes itself. The licence number and expiry date come straight from the HSE register, so you can check either firm yourself in about thirty seconds.

Every firm on this list holds a standard licence, which is the type that covers removal work.

Two things on this list worth knowing

• The county has very few licensed firms. Buckinghamshire is one of the thinnest counties in the country for this. Most Milton Keynes jobs are quoted by firms travelling in from Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. That is normal, and their licences are just as valid.
• Check the licence number before you book. None of the Buckinghamshire firms hold a licence expiring in the next 6 weeks. Ask whoever quotes to confirm their number matches the register.

Getting rid of small amounts in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes Council cannot collect asbestos. You take small amounts to the recycling centre yourself, and only one site takes it.

• New Bradwell is the only site that accepts it. It is on Newport Road, MK13 0AH. No other recycling centre in Milton Keynes can take asbestos.
• It is household sheet asbestos only, from a Milton Keynes address. Trade, building and demolition waste is turned away.
• It must be double wrapped in plastic and small enough to fit through the container slot. You book your visit first, up to seven days ahead.

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

Milton Keynes was built in the asbestos years

Milton Keynes does not have the old heavy industry that drives asbestos exposure in older cities. Its risk comes from its age. The city was designated in 1967 and most of it went up in the two decades after, the same years when asbestos board, cement and coatings were in almost every new building. That is why it turns up here in houses that are not otherwise old: in garages, soffits, boiler cupboards and Artex ceilings.

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

What removal is likely to cost in Milton Keynes

The material and how easy it is to reach decide the price, not the town. 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. With so few licensed firms in the county, get more than one quote and ask each what the price includes. For a full breakdown, see our guide to asbestos removal cost.

Asbestos removal in Milton Keynes: questions people ask

Does the council collect asbestos?

No. Milton Keynes Council cannot collect asbestos because of its licence conditions. You take small amounts to the New Bradwell recycling centre yourself, or use a licensed firm.

Can I take asbestos to the tip in Milton Keynes?

Yes, household sheet asbestos only, at New Bradwell on Newport Road, MK13 0AH. It must be double wrapped and you have to book your visit first. No other Milton Keynes site accepts it.

Why are there only two licensed firms?

Buckinghamshire is a small county for this trade and the HSE files each licence against one address. Firms in the neighbouring counties cover Milton Keynes as well. Your real choice is wider than the table.

Getting a quote from a Milton Keynes contractor

Not in Milton Keynes? See the firms covering Northampton and Hertfordshire, or every area we cover.