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Leasing a unit on a Runcorn industrial estate? Check the asbestos first

Before you sign for an older unit on Astmoor, Manor Park or another Runcorn estate, here is what to ask about asbestos.

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Leasing a unit on a Runcorn industrial estate? Check the asbestos first

Many units on Runcorn's older industrial estates date from the new-town era and still have their original cement roofs, cladding and office fit-outs. When you take a lease, you may take on part of the duty to manage what is in them.

Ask for the register

The landlord should be able to provide an asbestos register for the building. Check its date, whether it covers the whole unit including the roof and offices, and whether it has been re-inspected recently.

Read the lease

Repairing obligations decide who is the duty holder. If you are responsible for internal repairs, you will likely be responsible for managing asbestos inside the unit.

Before your fit-out

If you plan to install racking, mezzanines, offices or new services, anything that disturbs the building fabric needs a refurbishment survey of those areas first. Doing it before you sign gives you leverage on who pays for any removal.

Related: Commercial asbestos management survey · Industrial estate & plant survey

Quick answers

The landlord has no register. What now?
Ask for one before signing, or agree who will commission a management survey and who will pay for it.
Does racking installation disturb asbestos?
It can if fixings go into floors, walls or roofs containing it. Check the register or survey the affected areas.
More guides
Asbestos in Runcorn's new-town homes: what to check before you renovateHomes built in Runcorn's 1960s–80s new-town expansion often contain asbestos. Where it usually is and when a survey is worth it.Asbestos surveys for plant rooms and planned shutdownsFor process and industrial sites around Weston Point and Astmoor: how to scope a survey so results are ready before the shutdown starts.Lock-up garages with asbestos roofs: a guide for Runcorn owners and housing providersRows of lock-up garages on Runcorn's estates often have cement roofs. When to leave them, and how removal works.
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