Red Kite testing Loudwater homes for asbestos (From Bucks Free Press)

Red Kite testing Loudwater homes for asbestos

1:10pm Wednesday 11th July 2012 in News By Simon Farr

ASBESTOS tests are being carried out at a housing scheme in Loudwater after fibres were discovered during a routine survey.

Experts from Red Kite Community Housing are into their second day of testing the 48 properties in Barley Fields.

Two tenants have already been put up in temporary accommodation and areas of their homes sealed off after fibres were discovered on Tuesday.

Red Kite spokesman Zosia Katnik said residents were being kept informed about the “potential risk” and added the organisation, which took over the running of council homes last year, was “being a responsible landlord”.

She said: “When we took over we wanted to take stock of all of our properties and brought in Savills to carry out a survey, it isn’t a legal requirement.

“We have been here since Monday – tenants were not given any notice because we wanted to door knock and explain to them what was going on face-to-face so they could ask us any questions.

“We are air testing and sealing off any areas for further investigation, but it is important to stress this isn’t a scare but we are just being responsible.”

She added that any asbestos in tenant homes would be removed and information packs have been given to every tenant and lease holder.

But lease holder Gloria Owen fears she is being treated differently to tenants after her pack did not contain a letter which suggests tenants inform their GPS about a potential exposure to asbestos.

She said: “I have emphysema, so I would have been quite glad to get a letter telling me to contact my doctor – that’s the bit that’s made me the angriest about this situation.

“There are people here with children, I currently have my daughter and grandchild here, if I’m living in a lethal house I want to know about it.”

Miss Katnik said Red Kite has “different responsibilities to tenants” but every resident in Barley Fields would be spoken to about the work.

She said lease holders are responsible for any work to their properties and added the letter suggesting tenants contact their GPs was purely for updating their medical records, not because of an immediate health risk.