Bath's asbestos goes to Keynsham
B&NES says it can take small amounts of asbestos from residents. The place is Keynsham Recycling Centre (Worlds End Lane, BS31 1TW), and it takes cement-bonded asbestos only: three unbroken sheets at most, plus drainpipe or guttering up to 6 ft by 3 ft, double wrapped and sealed. You have to tell the council first, by online form or by ringing 01225 39 40 41 at least a day ahead. Its page says nothing about a charge, so ask when you call.
Bath's own recycling centre is about to change. According to the council, the new Locksbrook Road centre was due to be finished in autumn 2026, after which Midland Road closes for housing. The new centre's list of accepted items leaves out asbestos, and the council tells people to take hazardous waste to Keynsham or Old Welton. Confirm before you drive anywhere.
Where this comes from: B&NES: Keynsham Recycling Centre; B&NES: Bath recycling centre redevelopment; B&NES: asbestos.
A city of old and listed buildings
Bath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and UNESCO's periodic report says two thirds of the site lies within the City of Bath Conservation Area, with many listed buildings (UNESCO periodic report). Georgian architecture dominates the centre, while the council's character appraisals for places like Locksbrook and Western Riverside also point to a good deal of late Victorian housing.
Whatever its original date, almost every building has been mended, extended or refitted since, and that is where to look: flues, boilers, ceiling coatings, floor tiles, outbuildings and garage roofs. If the building is listed, a survey is a separate matter from listed-building consent, so ask the council about both before work begins.
What to do next
- One suspect material: get it tested
- Opening up a period building: get a survey
- Compare the other councils: tip rules for all three