Asbestos Management Plan (and FAQs)
View the Asbestos Management Plan (PDF, 1.6 MB).
Frequently asked questions
These FAQs are live and as such are subject to change and amendment.
What is the Asbestos Management Plan?
The Aquadrome Asbestos Management Plan is a factual site management document prepared in line with the Control of Asbestos Regulations and is what specialist consultants have recommended that the council does with respect to the management of asbestos at the Aquadrome. This operational management plan guides how the council treats and manages the site to ensure it can remain safe and open for all to use. The council takes the health and safety of the public very seriously, and on the advice of the qualified and highly experienced specialist consultants, the decision was taken to implement the ‘no dig’ policy which includes banning the staking of the ground. The safety concern arises not simply from the presence of asbestos but whether it is disturbed or not, which is why the no dig policy was implemented. The site remains safe to use for general day-to-day activities.
Can I see the Asbestos Management Plan?
A copy of the current plan is available on the website but it should be noted that it is a live management plan and as such is subject to continual change and amendment.
Why is an Asbestos Management Plan needed?
The duty to manage asbestos is set out in regulation 4 of the ‘Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012’ and is a key part of the council’s requirements for HSE (Health and Safety Executive) compliance. As the council are aware of the existence of asbestos at the Aquadrome site it is required to have a plan to manage the site in accordance with the relevance legislation and regulations.
Why is there asbestos present at the Aquadrome at all?
The history of the source of the asbestos contamination is unknown; however, it is believed that there are potentially significant quantities of buried asbestos cement, textile, asbestos insulating board and other asbestos materials in the ground at the Aquadrome. For general day-to-day use, the Aquadrome poses no health risks to members of the public or other users.
What does this mean for public activities at the Aquadrome?
Events can still go ahead at the Aquadrome; however, they must abide by the requirements of the Asbestos Management Plan and must consider the implications of the management plan in their respective setups and management. The council worked very closely with our specialist consultants to develop a management plan that would enable all current activities, such as the festival and park run events to continue with realistic and proportionate mitigation measures in place.
With the management plan finalised the council is in the process of sharing it and discussing its requirements with relevant organisations. Three Rivers District Council will continue working with organisations to explore options to ensure their respective events can go ahead, but public safety must always be the council’s first concern.
Council officers have had and continue to have ongoing dialogue with main Aquadrome User Organisations to ensure that proper considerations have been made in relation to the Asbestos Management Plan requirements, including those related to the “no dig” designation, such as ground staking.
What does this mean for the Aquadrome in general and its day to day use by the public?
The Aquadrome remains a safe environment for general day-to-day use by the public and can still be used for leisure, such as dog walking, picnics, and water-based activities. Three Rivers District Council is committed to securing the health and safety of members of the public using the site for recreational purposes. The Aquadrome Asbestos Management Plan has been prepared with consideration to how the Aquadrome is used and enjoyed, and the actions required to manage the risk of asbestos on the site are proportional and sensible measures to keep people safe and allow them to enjoy the activities that they always have.
History and background
Why is there asbestos/who put it there?
The history of how asbestos arrived at the Aquadrome site is not formally recorded. The council understands that there were asbestos manufacturers located within the local area, but there are no records of when, who or how the asbestos was deposited on the site.
Surveys of the Aquadrome have revealed that there are a number of different types of asbestos and asbestos materials present on the site. This includes asbestos cement boards, insulation materials and textiles.
Is it safe?
Air monitoring surveys confirmed that the levels of asbestos present in the air are well below established safe levels. The Aquadrome site remains safe provided activities are undertaken in accordance with the Asbestos Management Plan, which is primarily aimed at avoiding the disturbance of the ground.
What risk assessments have been undertaken?
The Asbestos Management Plan is the result of a risk assessment of the regular activities undertaken on site. Any activities that require the disturbance of the ground, for example; installing a new waste bin, will be subject to a specific risk assessment and will include consideration on actions which will minimise ground disturbance.
Where it is not possible to undertake works without disturbing the ground, the appropriate asbestos surveys will need to be conducted, by specialist contractors before any works can commence. The council will be responsible for fully assessing any such works and the risks associated with the disturbance of asbestos materials.
The Asbestos Management Plan has been developed to minimise the impact upon users and the requirements that need to be met to satisfy the Control of Asbestos Regulations.
Will the council look to have the asbestos removed?
The costs and potential disruption to the natural infrastructure of the site, which is a Local Nature Reserve, are considered prohibitive. This is why the council has implemented the Asbestos Management Plan, to ‘manage’ rather than ‘remove’ the risk posed by asbestos.
Activities
Three Rivers District Council is committed to securing the health and safety of members of the public using the site for recreational purposes. The Aquadrome Asbestos Management Plan has been prepared with consideration to how the Aquadrome is used and enjoyed, and the actions required to manage the risk of asbestos on the site are proportional and sensible measures to keep people safe and allow them to enjoy the activities that they always have.
Rickmansworth Festival
The council made the organisers aware of the changes in May 2023, and met with them in December 2023 to discuss the detail of the plan and what implications that might have for the festival set up and management. Any decision relating to the festival taking place is, and remains, with the festival organisers and not the council.
Why is there a requirement to monitor before and after large events?
The Aquadrome site is subject to periodic picks of loose asbestos material that rises to the surface after bouts of heavy rain or intensive footfall. To ensure such material is recovered and disposed of correctly it has to be picked up and removed by licenced contractors. Such works come at a cost to the council and in inviting large numbers of people to the Aquadrome, it is necessary that the organisers are responsible for the costs associated with picking up loose asbestos material which would be above and beyond that required by day-to-day use of the site.
Is the Aquadrome safe for water-based activities and for general leisure use?
Sailing/water-skiing
The Aquadrome is and remains a safe environment for general day-to-day use by the public and can still be used for leisure, such as dog walking, picnics, and water-based activities.
Asbestos material is present within the lakes at the Aquadrome and whilst it remains under the water and ‘encapsulated’ there is no uncontrolled release of fibres into the atmosphere. The council closely manages the water levels within the lakes.
Fishing
Like sailing and water-skiing, fishing is another activity that is safe to participate in at the Aquadrome. The disturbance of the asbestos within the lakes is rare, but where lines are snagged, they should be cut and removed safely from the water whilst allowing the asbestos to remain submerged. Council officers liaise regularly with the Uxbridge Rovers Angling and Conservation Society who work closely with the council on many issues including those related to asbestos management.
Picnics, Pegs, Posts & Dogs
Picnics are perfectly permissible within the Aquadrome, however, any disturbance of the ground should be avoided and this could include, for example: driving windbreak posts or tent pegs into the ground; ground anchors for ‘dog loops’ or other such activities. Whilst the risks associated with such activities are considered low, the known existence of asbestos under the ground and the potential for any uncontrolled release of asbestos fibres related to the removal of such items should be avoided.
Dogs should be under control at all times, and on leads in certain areas as prescribed by the Public Space Protection Order 2022. Where dogs, or indeed any other animals, may expose the ground, the council’s grounds maintenance teams are trained to identify any visible asbestos materials and if necessary, the removal of exposed materials will be arranged, and the hole will be filled and levelled.
Parkrun
Parkrun organisers have confirmed that the requirement to not stake the ground is not an issue and will not impact the event as they can use alternative means for sectioning e.g. cones/weighting.
Cricket
Under the council’s Byelaws for Pleasure Grounds, Public walks and Open Spaces (2020), which includes the Rickmansworth Aquadrome, cricket is restricted to those areas designated for playing cricket and as such no areas are formally designated for cricket at the Aquadrome.
Building/Infrastructure works
Will the new bridge still get built?
Yes, new infrastructure projects remain possible at the Aquadrome but they must be constructed with appropriate mitigation in line with the requirements of the Asbestos Management Plan.
Signage
Signage is currently being reviewed as part of the recent adoption of the Aquadrome Management Plan (not to be confused with the Asbestos Management Plan), with support from Heritage Lottery Funding. New signage installed as part of this project will incorporate information about the history of the site and its impacts on modern day usage. Any new signage with be implemented with mitigation in line with the requirements of the Asbestos Management Plan.
Maintenance and the natural environment
What are we doing to manage the asbestos?
The site is proactively managed by the council’s grounds maintenance teams who are fully trained to deal with these matters. On occasions when the site floods such areas and pathways are closed to the public and not reopened until they have been cleared and returned to normal. The issue of pegs and stakes in the ground is not the putting of them in the ground but the potential for the uncontrolled release of asbestos fibres when they are pulled out and removed.
What happens if wildlife dig the ground?
Where animals may expose the ground, the council’s grounds maintenance teams are trained to identify any visible asbestos materials and if necessary, the removal of exposed materials will be arranged, and the hole will be filled and levelled.
Can new trees still be planted?
Yes, with mitigation in line with the requirements of the Asbestos Management Plan.
What happens when a tree blows down?
Where there is evidence of asbestos material in the root-ball, under controlled conditions, the trees are cut from the trunk and the root-ball is carefully lowered back into its original position.
