Asbestos

Dear Councillors,

It is important for you to be aware of the unsavoury happenings within this council of ours.

I believe we are all aware of the deadly assassin within our community, asbestos.

Teesside has the highest deaths rates associated with asbestos in the UK. Almost all may have been caused through industry, however we cannot be sure when thousands of homes still remain contaminated by the invisible killer fibre. Many of those are in Middlesbrough. Are they in your ward ?
Middlesbrough Council made an honourable agreement with Erimus Housing at the time of the transfer of council homes in 2004. Part of this agreement was to rid all ex council homes of asbestos within a 10 year period 2004/2014,  which could be extended if asbestos remained in these homes at the end of this period. The budget of £13,129,223 was specified for the removal of the asbestos. If the budget was exceeded and asbestos remained
the Company [Erimus] would continue to remove the asbestos. However this would be at the expense of Middlesbrough Council and of course the tax-payer. As at November 2011 Erimus have spent only £3.9m of this budget after 7 years, (2004-2011), leaving over £9m of the budget despite asbestos remaining in homes in this town.

In the agreement, a legally binding document, the word ‘expedition’ (quickly)referring to the removal of asbestos was used. I am sure you will agree that Erimus have been far from quick from removing the asbestos from homes in this town, in fact they have been extremely slow, thus  jeopardising the health of  Erimus residents.

Council solicitor,Mr Vickers, presented a report regarding the asbestos removal agreement to the Overview  and Scrutiny Board. I believe Richard Long is the actual author of the report which is manifestly an injustice to the officers who originally were responsible for the agreement and not forgetting the people who live in these effected homes.

The report is factually incorrect and indeed it is in conflict with the law in relation to asbestos removal. Many people,including both Jan Brunton Chair of Overview & Scrutiny and Richard Long are aware that I have knowledge of asbestos and the health problems it causes. Despite being aware of my knowledge Councillor Brunton Chair of OSB has three times now refused me leave to speak at meetings. This is despite her being made aware of the rules within the Constitution and the enlightening statement on Mayor Mallon’s website, where it makes clear the public will be encouraged to participate in Scrutiny. On the 7th Feb 2012 I attended a OSB meeting and made a request to be allowed to speak. Councillor Brunton answered saying ” I can invite you to speak but I am not” ,no reason given. For a senior councillor and deputy leader of the Middlesbrough Labour Party to state this is astonishing, petty and evidence of a lack of civility shown towards a citizen of this town, a constituent of her ward who has attended to furnish the members of OSB with the hazards of asbestos. The OSB at the three meetings did not seek the views of any expert in the field of asbestos.

Cllr Brunton  has also signed off the minutes of the OSB meeting 10 January 2012 as being correct when in fact they are a fabrication as to what happened at that meeting.

The result of the 7.2.2012 OSB meeting was that the asbestos problem was put on the back burner and that it will be looked at again in the next financial year and leaving Erimus to do as they see fit the perception being that the council is abdicating all responsibility for this matter,disregarding the people who they are elected to serve.

So much for expediency, it seems the health of Erimus residents counts very little with Middlesbrough Council and in particular the members of the OSB.

Important questions that the OSB have never asked include:

What are the reasons as to why Middlesbrough Council are not ensuring that Erimus Housing fulfil their legal requirement in relation to this matter?

How many homes have Erimus decontaminated of asbestos?

How many Erimus homes remain contaminated with asbestos?

When do Erimus aspire to fulfil the asbestos removal contract 2004/2014?

Why does over £9 million pound remain in the budget unspent ?

What are the intentions of both Middlesbrough Council and Erimus  with regard to the
contaminated homes that have been sold to residents.

Before the homes were sold did M’Bro Council and Erimus inform the residents of the presence of asbestos in their homes?

The OSB should also be investigating whether or not it is ethical that two councillors, Bob Brady and Mike Carr, who are representing M’Bro Councils interests on the Erimus board and both sitting on the parent company of Erimus i.e. Fabrik, can fulfil their obligations to M’Bro Council.

If this question was put to the general public, I am sure the answer would be ‘no’, they are both compromised, there appears to be a conflict of interest and cannot be perceived to be open and transparent.

Before the OSB meeting took place Cllr Brunton was seen in her office, talking to Labour members of the OSB. Also present was Executive Councillor Mike Carr, also chair of Erimus and board member of Fabrik . He was appointed to the Erimus Board to represent Middlesbrough Council, He has not attended any of the three OSB meetings I have attended which discussed asbestos, yet he was in discussions with the Chair of OSB beforehand.

I am also aware that several days ago Cllr Bob Brady Chair of Fabrik who also sits on the board of Erimus together with an Erimus  officer met with two Middlesbrough Councillors to discuss the asbestos problem.

In the interests of openness and transparency why didn’t these two councillors, along with Cllrs Brady and Carr attend these meetings and speak in public?

Why is it that Cllr Brunton is showing no concern regarding the health and welfare of residents of Erimus. This is demonstrated further by the fact she, as Chair of OSB, has transferred the Scrutiny of the asbestos problem to the next financial year April 2012 to March 2013.

These actions involving the Chair of Scrutiny are unethical and contradict the very remit of Scrutiny.

Councillor Brunton should stand down from her position as Chair of Scrutiny and the Overview and Scrutiny Board itself should be subject to scrutiny.

A member of the OSB Cllr Peter Purvis is a resident in a potentially asbestos affected house, yet he never asked a question ??

Dennis Lane