Asbestos Survey at the Lost Gardens of Heligan

Heligan was lost to the brambles of time since the outbreak of WW1. When many of its workforce were called to the trenches; sadly never to return. After decades of neglect, 1990 saw its re-awakening and it became Europe’s largest garden restoration project. Today, Heligan’s stunning 200 acre estate is a paradise for explorers, wildlife, plant lovers and garden romantics.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan is located near to St. Austell in Cornwall and has a large working team. Together they focus on working with nature, accepting and respecting it and protecting the habitats that the gardens encompass.

Visitors at Heligan can enjoy exploring the gardens, meandering through the UK’s only outdoor jungle and for the brave, a rope bridge extends across the valley. This offers a thrilling, exciting jungle experience. Within the estate’s 60 acres of managed woodland there are many intriguing sights to be seen. The farm, considered to hold ‘a very real place at the heart of the Heligan experience’ is not to be missed. It is a home for a wonderful variety of traditional and rare breed livestock and poultry.

Asbestos Management Survey with Areas of Refurbishment

Heligan’s success has been supported with increased numbers of employees. Their latest project involves improving their office space. It is hoped that this will facilitate the sharing of ideas and experience. Prior to the planned developments, understanding their duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012, the team appointed Scientific Services to complete an asbestos survey.

The Steward’s house, a barn, was used at the time of the survey as offices and a catering outlet. Under the development plans, the majority of the property was to remain. After an initial consultation, Scientific Services advised that a management survey would confirm the presence of asbestos within these areas. This enables a management plan to be formulated. The planned removal of a wall to accommodate a new opening, however, required a targeted refurbishment survey to inform the works.

Our consultant attended site at a date and time that minimised disruption to Heligan’s busy schedule. With a team of experienced asbestos surveyors, we are able to offer a range of availability to complete client’s surveys. This ensures that they are completed at a convenient time.

At the time of the survey, there were bats present in the loft space. It was of paramount importance that their presence was respected and the loft space was not entered during the process of completing the survey.

Once the survey was completed, our surveyor transported the samples collected back to our in-house, UKAS accredited laboratory. Based near Redruth in Cornwall, our laboratory’s close proximity to the site and our ability to prioritise the samples, meant that the survey report could be released quickly. Planned works on site were not delayed.

The survey yielded favourable results and confirmed that no asbestos was identified within the building.

On-going Support

If asbestos has been identified, Scientific Services’ team would have been well placed to provide further consultancy support, but on this occasion it wasn’t required. Heligan’s survey report is available to view on our customer portal. It can be accessed at all times, from a range of devices.

“Scientific Services guided us through the process of ensuring that we commissioned the correct asbestos survey to meet our on-site requirements. Their consultant was knowledgeable and caused minimal disruption to our daily operations. The survey report was easy to understand and issued quickly following the survey.” Andy Wilson, The Lost Gardens of Heligan.