Nine in ten Nottinghamshire schools still contain potentially lethal asbestos

Asbestos is a cancer and lung hazard, only if it is disturbed.

Nine in ten schools in Nottinghamshire still contain asbestos – and nearly £200,000 in damages has been paid to employees who have been exposed to it in the past.

Around 88 per cent of schools, out of the 252 on Nottinghamshire County Council’s books, are asbestos registered.

A Freedom of Information request, submitted by Notts TV News, shows that, since April 2010, £196,907 has been paid to two out of a total of four claimants.

Two claimants developed asbestos-related diseases as a result of exposure to asbestos during their employment at unnamed schools in the past.

Three claimants were teachers, the other was a caretaker, and all said they had been exposed to dangerous asbestos fibres in the air.

No pupils, past or present, are known to have ever been affected by exposure to asbestos in schools.

Asbestos can be found in buildings made or refurbished before the year 2000; it was banned from being used as a construction material in 1999.

Asbestos still kills around 5,000 workers each year.

Asbestos
Photo: Michael Coghlan

When materials containing asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air, becoming dangerous. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious medical conditions, such as cancer – some of which take a long time to develop.

Joanne Gordon, co-ordinator of Derbyshire Asbestos Support, an organisation which works to help people affected by asbestos-related diseases in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, described the number of schools with asbestos present as “high”.

She said: “We are seeing people who are being diagnosed with Mesothelioma regularly. We have had a percentage of people who have been teachers that have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma. It’s something we’re concerned about.”

Mesothelioma is a cancer and can result from low-level exposure to asbestos – it still has no cure.

“Our concern is that schools are environments where asbestos could be an issue regularly because children might knock against it, kick a ball against it,” Gordon added.

The council, meanwhile, said it takes the management of asbestos “very seriously”.

Nottinghamshire County Hall, where the council is based.
Nottinghamshire County Hall, where Nottinghamshire County Council is based.

The council has a Local Asbestos Management Plan (LAMP) which covers 504 sites, including the 222 schools on the asbestos register. The plan sets out how each site is managed safely by those responsible.

In a statement, the council said: “In schools, that responsibility lies with the head teacher. The LAMP covers issues such as communication, training, monitoring and record keeping, managing contractors, and dealing with emergencies.

“The asbestos registers are maintained by yearly inspections carried out by directly employed specialist surveyors. During their visit, they carry out an audit of the LAMP to check that it is in place and being implemented.”

The figures released under the request do not include Nottingham city schools, which are kept on a separate register.

According to the Derbyshire Asbestos Support group, more money has been paid out in damages to people affected by asbestos in Derbyshire schools than those in Nottinghamshire – but that, as a whole, there is more asbestos across Nottinghamshire than Derbyshire.

Gordon said asbestos can be found in classrooms, corridors, gyms, halls and around windows and boilers.

The support group recently developed an interactive function where asbestos may be found in schools to raise awareness for teachers and school staff.


(UPRN) 222 Nottinghamshire schools on the asbestos register:

1007 Beckingham Primary School
1010 St Mary and St Martin Blyth C of E Primary
1014 Ramsden Primary
1018 Cuckney C of E Primary School
1019 Dunham C of E Primary
1020 East Markham Primary School
1021 Elkesley Primary and Nursery School
1022 Everton Primary School
1024 St Peter’s C of E Primary Gringley
1026 St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School
1029 Mattersey Primary School
1030 Misson Primary School
1032 St Matthews C of E Primary
1035 Rampton Primary School
1037 Ranskill Primary School
1038 Bracken Lane Primary and Nursery
1039 Carr Hill Primary School
1040 St Swithun’s C of E Primary School
1042 Northfield Primary
1043 Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School
1045 Ordsall Primary
1049 Sturton Le Steeple C of E Primary School
1050 Sutton-cum-Lound C of E Primary School
1052 Walkeringham Primary School
1056 Haggonfields Primary and Nursery
1060 Prospect Hill Junior School
1061 Berry Hill Primary and Nursery School
1062 Redlands Primary and Nursery School
1063 Sir Edmund Hillary Primary and Nursery
1064 St Anne’s C of E Primary School
1066 St Augustine’s School
1069 St Luke’s C of E Primary School
1077 Crescent Primary
1080 Asquith Primary
1086 Sutton Road Primary and Nursery
1093 Church Vale Primary School
1094 Eastlands Junior School
1098 Forest Town Primary and Nursery School
1101 Hetts Lane Infant and Nursery
1103 John T Rice Infant and Nursery
1106 Leas Park Junior School
1109 Nettleworth Infant and Nursery
1111 Newlands Junior School
1117 Sherwood Junior School
1123 Langold Dyscarr Community School
1133 High Oakham Primary School
1134 Intake Farm Primary School
1136 King Edward Primary School
1139 Farmilo Primary
1141 Oak Tree Primary and Nursery
1142 Manners Sutton Primary School
1143 Chuter Ede Primary School
1145 John Hunt Primary and Nursery School
1147 Wynndale Primary School
1151 Bleasby C of E Primary School
1152 Blidworth Oaks Primary School
1155 Dean Hole C of E Primary School
1156 Samuel Barlow Primary and Nursery School
1158 Coddington C of E Primary and Nursery
1159 John Blow Primary School
1161 St Mary’s C of E Primary School
1164 All Saints Anglican Methodist Primary
1169 Gunthorpe C of E Primary
1170 Halam C of E Primary School
1171 Queen Eleanor Primary School
1172 St Peter’s C of E Primary (Mansfield)
1173 Kirklington Primary School
1174 Kneesall C of E Primary School
1175 Lowdham C of E Primary School
1177 Muskham Primary School
1183 Christ Church C of E Infant
1185 Awsworth Primary and Nursery School
1187 William Gladstone C of E Primary
1189 Lovers’ Lane Primary and Nursery School
1190 Mount C of E Primary and Nursery School
1192 North Clifton Primary School
1193 Norwell C of E Primary School
1194 Forest View Junior School
1195 Maun Infant and Nursery School
1198 Python Hill Primary School
1200 Lake View Primary and Nursery School
1203 Ravenshead C of E Primary
1205 Holy Trinity C of E Infant School
1207 Lowes Wong Infant School
1208 Lowes Wong Anglican Methodist Junior School
1209 Sutton-on-Trent Primary School
1212 Walesby C of E Primary School
1213 Winthorpe Primary School
1235 Annesley Primary and Nursery School
1239 Broomhill Junior School
1241 Edgewood Primary and Nursery
1243 Leen Mills Primary School
1245 Hucknall National C of E Primary School
1247 All Saints C of E Infant
1249 Abbey Hill Primary and Nursery School
1251 Jeffries Primary and Nursery
1252 Kingsway Primary School
1253 Morven Park Primary and Nursery
1255 Orchard Primary and Nursery
1257 Kirkby Woodhouse Primary
1259 Selston C of E Infant and Nursery School
1260 Holly Hill Primary and Nursery
1261 Jacksdale Primary and Nursery
1262 Underwood C of E Primary
1263 Westwood Infant and Nursery School
1265 St Andrew’s C of E Primary and Nursery
1266 Healdswood Infant & Nursery
1268 Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery
1269 Croft Primary
1270 Dalestorth Primary and Nursery
1271 Forest Glade Primary School
1272 Hillocks Primary and Nursery School
1274 Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School
1275 Priestsic Primary and Nursery School
1301 John Clifford Primary and Nursery
1304 Round Hill Primary School
1305 Rylands Junior School
1306 Trent Vale Infant and Nursery School
1307 Bramcote C of E Primary School
1308 Bramcote Hills Primary School
1309 Brinsley Primary and Nursery
1310 Alderman Pounder Infant and Nursery
1311 College House Junior School
1312 Eskdale Junior School
1314 Meadow Lane Infant School
1318 Brookhill Leys Primary School
1324 Lynncroft Primary and Nursery School
1329 Horsendale Primary School
1330 Larkfields Infant School
1331 Larkfields Junior School
1332 Albany Infant and Nursery School
1333 Albany Junior School
1336 Wadsworth Fields Primary School
1337 St John’s C of E Primary Stapleford
1338 William Lilley Infant and Nursery
1340 Bispham Drive Junior School
1342 Trowell C of E Primary School
1426 Arno Vale Junior School
1428 Coppice Farm Primary School
1429 Ernehale Infant School
1434 Killisick Junior School
1436 Pinewood Infant and Nursery
1437 Richard Bonington Primary and Nursery
1438 Robert Mellors Primary and Nursery
1442 Woodthorpe Infant School
1443 Hawthorne Primary and Nursery
1446 Manor Park Infant and Nursery School
1447 Sir John Sherbrooke Junior School
1448 St Wilfrid’s C of E Primary
1450 Central Infant and Nursery School
1451 Central Junior School
1452 St John The Baptist C of E Primary
1453 Haddon Primary and Nursery
1456 Parkdale Primary School
1457 Porchester Junior School
1458 Standhill Infant School
1461 Westdale Infant School
1462 Westdale Junior School
1463 All Hallows C of E Primary
1464 Phoenix Infant and Nursery
1465 Priory Junior School
1466 Stanhope Primary and Nursery School
1467 Willow Farm Primary School
1468 Lambley Primary School
1469 Linby cum Papplewick CofE Primary School
1470 Netherfield Primary
1474 Newstead Primary and Nursery School
1475 Abbey Gates Primary School
1477 Woodborough Woods Foundation Primary Sch
1500 Robert Miles Infant School
1501 Carnarvon Primary School
1503 Bunny C of E Primary School
1505 Costock C of E Primary School
1506 Cotgrave C of E Primary School
1512 Brookside Primary School
1515 Flintham Primary School
1519 Crossdale Drive Primary School
1520 Keyworth Primary and Nursery School
1521 Willow Brook Primary School
1522 Kinoulton Primary School
1524 Normanton-on-Soar Primary
1525 Orston Primary School
1527 Radcliffe-on-Trent Infant/Nursery School
1528 Radcliffe-on-Trent Junior School
1530 St Peter’s (Ruddington) C of E Junior
1531 James Peacock Infant and Nursery School
1532 Sutton Bonington Primary School
1534 Abbey Road Primary School
1537 Jesse Gray Primary School
1539 Lady Bay Primary School
1540 West Bridgford Infant School
1541 West Bridgford Junior School
1542 Willoughby Primary School
1637 Holy Family Catholic Primary/Nursery School
1660 Garibaldi College
1699 Minster C of E Comprehensive
1748 Chilwell School
1800 Colonel Frank Seely Comprehensive School
1869 Yeoman Park Special School
1870 Redgate Special School
1874 Orchard School – London Road Site
1875 Orchard School – Town Site
1879 Bracken Hill School
1880 Fountaindale School
1898 Derrymount Special School
1904 Ash Lea School
2636 Arnold Mill Primary School
2714 Misterton Primary and Nursery School
2737 West Bridgford Junior Annexe
2756 Caravan Infant and Nursery
2757 Hollywell Primary School
2759 North Wheatley C of E Primary
2795 Langar C of E Primary School
2797 Hawthorne Primary and Nursery
2822 Holly Primary School
2823 St Edmund’s C of E Primary and Nursery
2904 Prospect Hill Infant and Nursery
2910 Heatherley Primary
2918 Mornington Primary
2959 Butler’s Hill Infant and Nursery School
2991 Beckingham Primary School
2995 Gateford Park Primary School

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