CARDIFF NOVEMBER 2014
ED SHEERAN ON THE RECORD
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WIN: A holiday to Les Deux Alpes & tickets to Rise Festival FIND OUT HOW ON PG 12
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TALYBONT GATE OPENS AS ASBESTOS CONCERN GROWS HENRIETTA PAINTER
AROUND FIFTEEN hundred students Cardiff University students are set to remain in accommodation affected by asbestos, with the institution hinting that it will not seek to address the issue. The material, prolonged exposure to which has been linked with the prevalence of diseases such as lung cancer, has been located in rooms at Aberconway Hall, Cartwright Court, Roy Jenkins Hall and Talybont North. Furthermore, the University’s Asbestos Management Plan (last amended in November) suggests that any facility constructed prior to the turn of the century could incorporate the hazardous material. The versatile mineral has largely been outlawed in the United Kingdom by a series of legislative measures introduced between 1985 and 1999, meaning that it does not feature in newer residences such as Talybont Gate. However, nearby Talybont North is – by population - the largest site at risk from the hazard, which the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 makes clear that the University’s Asbestos Management Group has a “duty to manage”. Cardiff University guidelines state that any work to remove the asbestos must be undertaken by licensed contractors and is likely to require a risk assessment, making any potential operation a drawn out and expensive process. However, the institution insists that any remaining asbestos “does not present a risk” if it is left undisturbed - and appears to be intent on leaving
the material “in situ”, in line with recommendations published by the Department of Health in 2011. The perceived lack of urgency in addressing residual asbestos has not been received well by those unknowingly exposed to it, with some suggesting that they should have been informed prior to their residency. “Endangering our health is one thing, but not even telling us about the asbestos is something else. I would say that’s almost unacceptable,” a former Talybont North resident told The University Paper. In response to the reports, Cardiff University issued a statement in which it claimed that asbestos is present in “ceilings and some walls” but insisted that it is “securely sealed” and therefore does not pose a direct risk. However, the University added that it “will now review its policy with a view to making this information available to students in advance.” Amidst the concern brewing over the presence of asbestos at other residences, Cardiff University has opened the doors to a new multimillion pound residential block known as ‘Talybont Gate’ A total of 179 single occupancy rooms have been made available at the site, which is equidistant between the Main Building and the Heath Park campus and enjoys greatly improved facilities compared to older developments. Students – who had previously been expected to buy their own television
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CARDIFF UNIVERSITY ALLEGEDLY INSTALLS “ANTI-HOMELESS CAGE” MICHAEL O’CONNELL-DAVIDSON
Cardiff University has attracted national criticism after installing what has been described as an “antihomeless cage” over a hot air vent adjacent to the School of Biosciences. The installation, which the university describes instead as a “safety grille”, was erected during the summer months when the City’s homeless were least likely to be using it. The hot air vent was previously used
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by various rough sleepers, especially during colder periods of the year. A blog written by Cardiff University student Lewis Hopkins brought the grille to national attention, describing it as something that “sickened him to the core.” Cardiff University acted quickly to dismiss these claims, releasing a statement in response to various media inquiries.
“The decision to erect grilles was taken in the interests of health and safety. The safety grilles were not erected to deter homeless people from sleeping next to the vent. Any suggestion would be wholly inaccurate and misleading.” The statement instead implied that this had simply made it safer to sleep next to the vent, but did not acknowledge that there was much less of a reason for
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anybody to do so now that they were unable to position themselves next to the hot air. While University spokespeople described suggestions that the “cage” was erected to deter the homeless as misleading, it did not stop the university’s security department from claiming that this was in fact the case.
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