HM1972 - Asbestos Management Surveys & Asbestos Plan - for the Councils Housing Portfolio **Prelimin...

Wiltshire Council are inviting interested suppliers to a Preliminary Market Engagement Event regarding our upcoming tenders for: -

• Asbestos Management Surveys & Asbestos Plan - for the Councils Housing Portfolio
and
• Asbestos Removals & Disposal Services - for the Councils Housing Portfolio

In recognition that the management of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM's) requires specialist qualifications, licencing and infrastructure to survey, test, remove and dispose of ACM's. Wiltshire Council are inviting interested suppliers to a Preliminary Market Engagement Event on 20th March 2025 @ 15:00 to 16:00 via MS Teams - to enable the authority to share information regarding this procurement, and gain views and feedback from suppliers. To book a place please send an email su.matthews@wiltshire.gov.uk entering the following into the subject - Asbestos - Preliminary Market Engagement, and include the email addresses for your attendees. Upon receipt of this each email address will receive an MS Teams invite.

Summary of the required services:-

Wiltshire Council has a housing portfolio with c. 5300 tenancies, with 80% of these properties in the Salisbury area, with the remaining across and throughout Wiltshire.

The age of Wiltshire Councils housing portfolio signifies the inclusion of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM's). This places a duty upon the authority to have regulated processes and procures regarding the assessment, inspection, testing and removal of ACM's.

Asbestos is prevalent in both residential and commercial properties built before 2000 and is regrettably lurking in many places across and throughout buildings, for example: -

Stud walls and partitions.

Thermal and acoustic insulation

Flue pipes & chimneys

Cement roofing, drainpipes

Soffit boards

Ceiling tiles

Decorative coatings such as Artex

Thermo plastic floor tiles

Electrical fuse boards & switch gear

Toilet cisterns & water tanks

Asbestos left alone is not a problem, but if/when it is disturbed (e.g. by removal, drilling, sanding, or sawing), it can cause fibres to be released. If inhaled, asbestos fibres can enter the lungs and cause serious diseases, which according to the government, are responsible for around 4000 deaths a year.

As the owners of this housing portfolio, Wiltshire Council have a number of responsibilities, for example *Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, for the maintenance and/or repair of domestic premises through a tenancy agreement or contract.

*Regulation 4 "Duty to Manage" requires the duty holder to find out whether your property contains asbestos, assess the risk, and develop a plan to manage that risk and act on it. Failure to comply could result in prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Council has both a legal and moral duty to be aware of asbestos in our properties and have robust plans in place to manage it. Wiltshire Council have completed renovations to our properties over the years to remove the risk of exposure to ACMs, for example new flooring has been installed over the existing flooring containing ACMs to offer additional protection.

In addition to the above, to enable and ensure the Council to be fully complaint with the primary legislation that governs the management and handling of ACMs in the UK, namely The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) materials in the UK. Wiltshire Council are also governed by the following laws regarding its duty to manage asbestos within its HRA properties: -

• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

• Housing Act 2004.

• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

• The Environmental Protection Act 1990.

• Defective Premises Act 1972.