Pre-Demolition Asbestos Survey — Former Farm Buildings, West Kent

A Planning Condition, Four Buildings, Seven ACMs

Pre-demolition asbestos surveys are a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 before any demolition or major refurbishment work begins. For development projects, local planning authorities routinely impose pre-commencement conditions requiring a demolition survey to be carried out and submitted before any works can start. Failure to comply is both a planning breach and a regulatory offence under CAR 2012.

This West Kent farm complex — four buildings of mixed age and construction — had been granted planning permission for conversion to residential use. The planning condition required a pre-demolition survey before any structural works. The developer needed the survey completed quickly and the condition discharged before the construction programme could begin.

Seven ACMs were identified across the four buildings. The most significant was amosite (brown asbestos) insulation board in the former farmhouse ceiling — a licensed material requiring HSE notification and additional removal precautions. The remaining six ACMs were chrysotile-containing materials removable under non-licensed conditions.

Seven Materials Across Four Buildings

* Amosite (brown asbestos) AIB requires licensed removal with HSE notification. All other ACMs are chrysotile-containing materials.

From Survey to Planning Condition Discharge

01

Planning Condition & Survey Instruction

The developer had obtained planning permission for the conversion of a former farm complex into residential dwellings. The planning permission included a pre-commencement condition requiring a pre-demolition asbestos survey to be carried out and submitted to the local planning authority before any demolition or structural works could begin. We were instructed to carry out the survey across all four buildings on the site.

02

Two-Day Site Survey — All Buildings

The survey was carried out over two days by two UKATA P402-qualified surveyors working in parallel across the four buildings. The main barn, former farmhouse, and two outbuildings were all surveyed. The survey was fully destructive where required — ceiling tiles were lifted, ductwork was opened, and the roof void of the farmhouse was fully inspected. Seven ACMs were identified across the four buildings.

03

Destructive Sampling & Laboratory Analysis

Samples were taken from all seven identified ACMs and submitted to our UKAS-accredited laboratory on the same day as the survey. The laboratory results confirmed the material type and asbestos content for each ACM. Of particular note was the AIB ceiling in the former farmhouse, which was confirmed to contain amosite (brown asbestos) — a more hazardous fibre type that requires licensed removal and additional precautions.

04

Survey Report, Register & Removal Schedule

The full written demolition survey report — including location plans, photographs, risk scores, and removal recommendations for all seven ACMs — was delivered to the developer within 48 hours of the survey. The asbestos register listed all ACMs with their locations, material types, and quantities. The removal schedule prioritised the amosite AIB in the farmhouse as a licensed removal requiring HSE notification, followed by the non-licensed materials.

05

Planning Condition Discharge

The survey report and asbestos register were submitted to the local planning authority as required by the pre-commencement condition. The planning authority confirmed the condition was discharged within five working days of submission. The developer was then able to proceed with the removal programme and subsequent demolition works.

06

Subsequent Removal of All Seven ACMs

Following the planning condition discharge, we were instructed to carry out the removal of all seven ACMs identified in the survey. The amosite AIB ceiling was removed first under licensed conditions, with HSE notification submitted 14 days in advance. The remaining six ACMs — all chrysotile-containing materials — were removed in a single mobilisation over three days. All waste was disposed of under licensed conditions with full consignment documentation.

Planning Condition Discharged, Development Unblocked

We needed the demolition survey done quickly to discharge the planning condition and keep the programme on track. Pro Asbestos Removal surveyed all four buildings in two days, delivered the full report within 48 hours, and the planning authority accepted it within the week. They then removed everything cleanly and on time. Excellent service throughout.

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