Council blocks release of market asbestos report
BBCA council has refused to disclose one of the asbestos surveys it carried out on a market hall before the site was forced to shut due to concerns over the hazardous material.
On 17 February Westmorland and Furness Council told traders at Barrow Market they would have to shut, saying recent wet weather had worsened leaks which could dislodge asbestos.
The council has now refused to make public an asbestos survey and management plan it had tasked contractors with producing on the market just months before it shut.
It said it was due to potential legal action over the closure and the release of the documents could "adversely affect the course of justice".
A risk assessment by an asbestos contractor, dated 13 February, said there was "clear evidence" of a leak in the market hall's roof that was "continually failing" and which increased the risk of asbestos being dislodged – posing a risk of exposure to the public.
The report detailed the fact the contractors had carried out an asbestos survey on the market hall in December and produced a management plan.
The BBC sent a freedom of information (FOI) request to the council seeking the earlier report.
But the local authority refused to disclose the documents, saying it was aware a "number of parties related to Barrow Market Hall" had "indicated an intention to pursue or [were] actively pursuing legal action" over the site's closure.
It said the report was likely to become "central documentary evidence" in any potential proceedings.
A spokesperson said: "The council considers that disclosing this evidence into the public domain at this stage, while legal proceedings are anticipated or active, would adversely affect the course of justice."
It also said publishing the latest February risk assessment, which led to the site's closure, had established "public awareness of the current position".
Work to demolish the market is expected to begin in the current financial year, according to the Liberal Democrat-led authority.
