Tag: Local Government

£500K ASBESTOS MESS AT COUNCIL

CRUMBRIA: 12.6.2026

LABOUR-daft Crumberland Council has been caught with its asbestos trousers round its municipal ankles at Whitehaven Civic Hall.

It’s managed to attract the attention of the Health and Safety Executive – usually a sign that all is not well.

The HSE has reached for the nearest big stick and slapped the Council with an improvement notice about an asbsestos balls-up.

Council big wigs – Messrs Shit, Shite & Cacky – have been given until next month to pull their socks up.

It’s resulted in a SHUT DOWN Civic Hall in Whitehaven, and the cash-strapped Council having to find half-a-million big ones down the back of the contingency sofa to put matters right.

The egg on face does not end there.

Outside specialists – at who knows what cost – have now been called in to help the Council understand the thrilling mystery of its own frigging buildings.

The HSE inspected eight Council properties for the killer dust – schools were on the list and the HSE said “other matters” were found.

However, those “other matters”, the all-important HSE contravention letter, and the Council’s own action plan saying where works will be required have been hidden from public view!

As per usual, our abysmal local rags have not exactly covered themselves in glory when it comes to kicking the tyres of this public safety story.

Hacks peered at this open-goal scoop and then sent readers into a coma by reporting back with 600 words of moribund committee hogwash.

All the burning questions were left ablaze.

  • Why did a massive public Council building like Whitehaven Civic Hall not already have an adequate asbestos management plan?
  • What exactly is contained in the HSE contravention letter that the Council has concealed?
  • Which other Council-owned sites are causing concern and do they include the inspected schools, such as Netherhall, Maryport; Nelson Thomlinson, Wigton; and Ashfield Junior School, Workington?
  • Who at the Council was responsible before a new asbestos duty-holder was suddenly appointed?
  • Why has corporate health and safety been handed to the Crumberland’s Chief Legal Officer?

And isn’t it funny how Labour-run Crumberland Council can magic-up £500,000 out of the biscuit tin to solve an asbestos crisis at one of its flagship buildings, yet the Lib Dems running Wokemoreland Council call the bulldozers into Barrow when asbestos is found in The Forum and The Market Hall?

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