Asbestos found in 196 locations in Manchester Metropolitan Library questions refurb proposals

Manchester Metropolitan Library contains 196 instances of asbestos, according to a refurbishment survey completed on the building.

A freedom of information request revealed current building costs, asbestos management plans completed prior to the planning process, and the subsequent demolition survey.

The Tab Manchester has accessed a refurbishment and demolition survey completed for the planned redevelopment of Manchester Metropolitan Library, detailing the extent of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) within the building.

Materials marked with an advisory to remove prior to refurbishment works span across 13 pages of the document, highlighting a huge amount of asbestos within the building.

The current plans for the project will see demolition of the front facing area of the library, with the main area of the building, spanning six floors, stripped to its core components and remodelled with a new facade. A new, 13 storey tower will replace the section of the building facing Oxford Road.

In order to commence with works, the materials highlighted will need to be safely removed and disposed of, as to not pose a threat to workers and users of the building.

An ACM can be any material containing asbestos fibres, a fire-resistant mineral known to be toxic and carcinogenic. Asbestos is a leading cause of work-related deaths in the UK.

Fibres in ACM’s are invisible to the human eye, and can be easily breathed in or lie on clothing and other soft furnishings.

Most ACM’s are risk assessed based on the age and condition of the material, with older examples more likely to deteriorate and release toxic fibres into their immediate environment.

However, this risk is unmitigable in the case of refurbishment and demolition, as moving materials is likely to release fibres held within.

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Management plans seen by The Tab note that ACM’s marked as red, most likely to cause immediate harm, were removed between assessments done in 2018 and 2020.

ACM’s identified in management plans are colour-coded based on immediate risk, age and condition, with red materials requiring immediate removal from a site. Those marked amber may pose some threat in the future and should be monitored, while green materials are safe to remain in a building, with regular surveying, until refurbishment or demolition.

The 2024 demolition plan details locations of ACMs in far greater depth, with a notably high concentration of problem materials in areas marked for refurbishment in the new plans.

Based on this information, this would render all levels of the library inaccessible during the remodelling.

Manchester Metropolitan relocated elements of the library to the John Dalton East building in September 2024, though library pages on their site offer information predominantly about the use of the online portal for accessing cross-subject materials. The John Dalton East building was marked as a building in “poorer” property condition, and highlighted as a potential site to address in a 2017-2027 Estates Strategy document published by the university.

Materials highlighted in the survey include insulating boards and connecting mastic to ducts, ceiling voids, and pipes that may form the “core” of the building that is set to remain in place pace with a new facade covering. Given the advice outlined in the plan, these core components would need to be removed completely.

This follows the information that the project is currently totalled at £164m, just shy of its approved budget of £165m, before work has begun on the site. Manchester Metropolitan previously confirmed works would commence in 2024.

Previous statements from the university insist that the delay in the works related to inflated costs of building materials.

An email chain between the university and the City Council’s Planning Department, seen by The Tab, show a hesitance from the council in approving new proposals set forward.

Manchester Metropolitan has not yet confirmed if amended proposals have been formally submitted to the council, or approved. Previous statements advise that the project is currently at RIBA stage 2, meaning that the works are in the “concept design” phase. This means that the design has not been coordinated to the space, nor have detailed manufacture information been provided.

Buildings in this phase of design are not typically closed, as concepts are still in their development stage. The library has been out of operation since late 2024.

A spokesperson for the university gave the following statement:

“As part of the Library Transformation Programme, the University relocated the Library and Special Collections to John Dalton East in September 2024. Students, Academic Staff and Professional Services Staff were communicated to via the appropriate Library and University channels regarding these arrangements.

“Since announcing the granting of planning permission for the new library building back in February 2024, the ongoing development work has led us to revisit the design of the building to ensure we can deliver the high-quality library provision we envisioned, whilst also providing the best value for money for our staff and students. Over the past few months, we have been working closely with our architects, construction partners and other stakeholders, to carefully review and refine the plans. We will communicate additional updates as our plans develop further.

“We are planning for the new Library building to be open to students from September 2030. In the meantime, we continue to keep the John Dalton East Library operating to ensure we give our students the very best library experience.”

Featured image via Instagram.