Connell Brothers Ltd was awarded the multi-million pound Asbestos Removal and Demolition works contract of Mossley Hill Hospital in Liverpool. Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust employed CBL as Principal Contractor to clear the site to pave the way for a future state-of-the-art mental health facility.

The huge site, spread over 3.45 ha, has been home to a hospital in varying degrees since World War One. It was originally built by the Red Cross for wounded American soldiers, supporting between 25 and 50 military personnel when it originally opened its doors.

There were multiple buildings across the site ranging from single-storey to three-storeys, most of which are either concrete portal frame with brick infill panels or timber frame, as was the norm throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Asbestos was identified in the buildings with both notifiable and non-notifiable products present throughout the scheme.

Neil Doherty, Connell’s Site Manager says:

“We are very lucky to have our own in-house asbestos removal teams working on the project and have been able to coordinate the removal of the material without too much of an impact on the rest of the demolition works. The landscaped grounds around the buildings have several mature trees standing, all of which have TPOs, requiring the team to cordon them off and work around them.

Other ground issues included the numerous heating pipes in large ducts below the ground, the majority of which are to be kept in-situ as they will be used again when it comes to heating the manor house post refurbishment. Following on from the huge strip out and asbestos removal works, other issues facing the team were the mixtures of material found in the buildings.

“We have the usual timber and plasterboard to contend,” Neil says. “But we also have a variety of roof coverings to deal with including sprayed on insulated coatings. We have to try and remove as much of the insulation as possible before disposing of the tin sheets.” Working around the shallow ducting that carries the service pipes is an area where care has to be taken. “We have to ensure they stay as whole as possible, which means the operators are kept informed of their positions and try to keep well away from them in their excavators.” The demolition works included the demolition of existing wards and wings with Mossley House being retained as this is a Grade II listed building, as well as an adjacent substation.

The main challenges were:

– Extensive asbestos removal

– Hand separation from Grade II Listed Building

– Large variety of materials to process