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Doorly Park Houses In Asbestos Scare

ASBESTOS HAS been found in 28 derelict houses in the maisonettes block at Doorly Park scheduled for demolition later this year.

The issue is formally described as 'asbestos containing materials, (ACMs),' contained in floor tiles and floor tiling adhesive and some bathroom furniture such as toilet cisterns and toilet bowls.

''The ACMs will be removed and transported off site to a licenced waste disposal depot before demolition on the maisonettes begins,'' local residents and politicians have been told.

Some houses in the block were occupied as recent as December 2011.

The asbestos information -- and other details of the demolition -- was contained in a briefing to Borough Council members yesterday.

Copies of the briefing were also delivered Thursday afternoon to homes in Doorly Park, Martin Savage, and local businesses.

Duplex style

The ''question and answer'' format of the briefing had been suggested by the Eastern Bridge Campaign Committee, which also first raised the asbestos concerns and various issues.

The 28 maisonettes houses were built duplex style in the late 1950s. The award winning Irish feature film, ''Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne," scripted by Conor McDermottroe filmed in the block in November 2009.

Asbestos removal and demolition is expected to take up to nine weeks. September has been mooted as a starting date.

The site will be grassed and sealed with security fencing and floodlighting when demolition is completed. Yesterday's briefing confirmed the zoning status will remain housing until/unless changed by Borough Council members in Development Plans.

Correction (13.15pm): The photo above relates to Land Survey Services, consultants from Armagh, during a May 2011 inspection of the houses scheduled for demolition.

Although the Council has, over the past twelve months, declined to provide detailed information on the specific tasks of Land Survey Services in the Sligo region they are one of the firms highlighted in yesterday's story on consultancy expenditure at Cranmore Regeneration. See SligoToday.ie 17/5/12

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, made up of long thin fibres. These fibres can be dangerous if they are inhaled as dust and are known to contribute to increased risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (scarring of the lung tissue) and mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the chest and the lining of the abdominal cavity). Asbestos was commonly used as an acoustic insulator and in thermal insulation, fire proofing and other building materials and many products in use today contain asbestos. Most of these are materials used in heat and acoustic insulation, fire proofing, roofing and flooring.

It should be noted that you can no longer buy, use or re-use asbestos products in Ireland, i.e., under EU legislation, there is now a ban on "placing on the market" asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Therefore, if you are removing, for example, an asbestos-containing roof, the material must go for disposal and cannot be re-used or adapted for re-use.

Removing asbestos is a complex procedure and must only be done by a contractor who has the necessary training. Improper removal increases the risk of fibre inhalation.

Update (13.37): Sligo Borough Council through the Cranmore Rgeneration Project is hosting a Public Information Meeting on Wednesday 6th June to discuss the proposed demolitions.

The meeting will be held at 7pm in the Meeting Hall at St Annes Church.

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