PART of Llanelli’s past industrial landscape is set to disappear in the New Year as the old Pontrilas works at North Dock gets razed to the ground. The factory which sits on the edge of the Millennium Coastal Park has become an eyesore and in recent months children have broken into the site and vandalised the building.
Llanelli Online was contacted by local walkers recently, who raised concerns that they had seen children on the roof of the building and that fires had also been lit inside the building. Fencing remained broken until recently when contractors secured the area. There are paths beside the works, which are popular with local walkers.
Grim statistics reveal the shocking truth that asbestos-related diseases kill more people than road accidents in the UK each year (Health & Safety International).
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (Regulation 4) the onus to manage asbestos is placed upon owners and occupiers of commercial premises who have responsibility for maintenance and repair activities. They also have a duty to assess the presence and condition of any asbestos-containing materials. If asbestos is present, or presumed to be present, it must be managed appropriately. It is important to emphasise that the current regulation places a legal duty on employers to provide information, instruction and training to any employees likely to be exposed to asbestos as part of their work.
We contacted Carmarthenshire County Council to ask what the plans were for the building and if it were to be demolished if an asbestos survey had been carried out and if the area would be sealed off during demolition to avoid airborne particles of asbestos.
The County Council issued the following statement: “The former Pontrilas factory at the North Dock, constructed in the 1960s, has been underused for many years and will be razed to the ground over the next few months.
“Specialist contractor Cuddy Group Ltd took over the site from Carmarthenshire County Council earlier this month.
“Due to elements of asbestos within the building fabric, a controlled demolition will be undertaken.
It will start at the north elevation, working south using specialist water suppression systems.
The site will be carefully managed and controlled throughout the demolition and clearance of materials from the site in accordance with strict asbestos removal standards so there is no danger to the public, including air monitoring to ensure nobody, either on or off site, is at risk.”
Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the council and executive board member for regeneration, said: “This is prime development land, so we’re pleased to be able to take this action to remove what is currently a blight on the landscape.”
