Vauxhall Park renovation delayed after asbestos discovered in children’s play area

By Rafi Benady

A £1.4 million renovation of Vauxhall Park has been delayed by six months following the discovery of asbestos in the children’s play area.

During the makeover, which started in September last year, large parts of the park were dug up for new paths and a playground, leading to the discovery of the particles in the ground.

Lambeth council and the contractors, Idverde, drew up a plan that was then implemented to clean the site.

Project manager for Lambeth council, Rob Kelly warned: “There will still be asbestos in the ground.

“Asbestos is fine, as long as you don’t disturb it, and so we have redesigned the project to avoid any further excavation.”

Mr Kelly said the asbestos got there from buildings that were demolished and not cleared up on the site in the 1950s and 1960s.

He added: “It is very common across London to find asbestos fragments in what they called the ‘made ground’.

“The concentration of asbestos was at the top by the play area.”

The original regeneration started in September 2019, and was meant to last around five months. The works will now end in June this year.

The revamp includes redeveloping the formal garden, resurfacing the paths, and new heritage railings along South Lambeth Road.

Kofi Mercer, 25, from Vauxhall said: “I was quite shocked actually when I heard about the asbestos in the park, especially the concentration of it in the children’s play area.

“I’m sure it’s not so dangerous that everyone who’s been near it is facing imminent death.

“But it’s just the fact that my four-year-old daughter’s been playing there for quite a while now, and that makes me quite uneasy.

“Furthermore, I also grew up in this area myself, and was playing in that exact space they found the asbestos in for the best part of 10 years.

“I’m a bit worried about my own health, as well as my daughter’s.

“I want some information from the local authorities that run the park regarding the health impact.”

Upon the discovery, the makeover was halted, but then commenced on January 13 with oversight from specialist asbestos removal contractors, DCUK.

Vauxhall Park is one of Lambeth council’s 12 Green Flag award-winning parks.

Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals made of thin, needle-like fibres.

For more information:  https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/what-is-asbestos/

Exposure to disturbed asbestos can cause several cancers and diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Idverde was contacted for comment but failed to respond.