Contingency Plans for Asbestos Costs at Kilrymont

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>>> Chris Wood <[FOI #96841 email]> 12/13/2011
12:27 am >>>
     Dear Fife Council,
    
     Fife Council has stated that asbestos removal has been accounted
     for both in the Refurbishment of Kilrymont programme and budget.
    
     Legislation dictates that a Refurbishment Survey is conducted prior
     to undertaking works in a building known to contain asbestos. In a
     previous FOI I have requested the Asbestos Register for all
     buildings at the Kilrymont site. If a Refurbishment Survey has not
     yet been done, the complete picture and the complete cost to remove
     the asbestos in the Kilrmont buildings is not yet known.
    
     Please provide documentation to explain:
     1. How much of the project budget has been set aside for the
     removal of this asbestos.
     2. How has Fife Council planned and budgeted for this unknown cost
     of removing the asbestos in the Kilrymont buildings?
     3. What will happen if the cost to remove the asbestos is greater
     than the amount budgeted i.e. has a contingency fund been set up?
     4. If this contingency is not spent, what assurances are there that
     the funds will be spent elsewhere on the project?
    
     Yours faithfully,
    
     Chris Wood
    
    

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Dear Chris Wood,

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your information request received on 19/12/2011 15:14; our reference: 1768. This is being dealt with in terms of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

The Regulations allow 20 working days to deal with your request from the date that we received it, but we hope to provide you with the information you are looking for at an earlier date where possible.

Yours sincerely

Fiona Elliot
Project Officer
Education
Fife Council

Dear Mrs. Wood

 

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004 – REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION

 

I refer to your information request dated 19^th December 2011; our
reference 1768.

 

I am pleased to enclose the information you requested relating to asbestos
removal during the refurbishment of Kilrymont and trust that it meets your
requirements.

 

Please provide documentation to explain:

1. How much of the project budget has been set aside for the removal of
this asbestos.

2. How has Fife Council planned and budgeted for this unknown cost of
removing the asbestos in the Kilrymont buildings?

3. What will happen if the cost to remove the asbestos is greater than the
amount budgeted i.e. has a contingency fund been set up?

4. If this contingency is not spent, what assurances are there that the
funds will be spent elsewhere on the project?

 

 

As noted above “Legislation dictates that a Refurbishment Survey is
conducted prior to undertaking works in a building known to contain
asbestos” Currently it is not possible to carry out the refurbishment
Survey due to the building being fully occupied. The HSE definition of
Refurbishment Survey includes the following description “The survey must
locate and identify all ACM before any structural work begins at a stated
location or on stated equipment at the premises.  It involves destructive
inspection and asbestos disturbance.  The area surveyed must be vacated,
and certified 'fit for reoccupation' after the survey.” Given the extent
of the work required on this project, this work will be carried out once
the building has been fully vacated.

In answer to the specific questions raised above. Fife Council holds
Management Surveys for its buildings. This survey for Kilrymont along with
knowledge of the existing building and a site survey from an authorised
asbestos contractor (experienced in the assessment of this type of work)
have been used to develop the budget cost for the works. A sum of £250,000
has been allocated for the removal of asbestos, inclusive of
contingencies. In addition to this overall project contingencies may be
available for further unknowns found during the works if required. We
cannot give any assurances that any unused contingency funds set up for
asbestos removal will be spent elsewhere on the project.

The only documentation we have is a quotation for asbestos removal, it
should be noted this price excludes contingency, refurbishment survey and
asbestos sampling.  Under section 38 of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 personal information is exempt from release therefore
any names have been redacted because disclosing these would constitute
personal information.

 

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have the right to request a review of the decision.  Please write to:
Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Services, Fife House, North Street,
Glenrothes, KY7 5LT or e-mail to .  The law provides for you to make this
request up to 40 workings days from when you receive this correspondence. 
We add a further three working days to allow time for delivery of our
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If you are not satisfied with the way we are handling this request, you
have the right to request a review of the decision.  Please write to:
Chief Legal Officer, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT, or
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apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision.

Yours sincerely

 

Fiona Elliot

Project Officer

Education

Fife Council

 

 

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