Undertaking a broad spectrum of works within the asbestos industry, from site samples, surveys and management plans through to full licensed removal of asbestos products and the associated analytical works, Solent Environment was founded in 1984 in response to the asbestos legislation of the late 70s.
The company expanded steadily over the first 25 years, fuelled by the fact that it offers a service that is tailored specifically to meet individual client requirements. The solution may not always, for instance, be to remove the asbestos if the budget is not available. If this is the case, Solent Environmental will advise on how the client’s asbestos problem can be managed to ensure compliance with current legislation.
It was in 2008, though, that it was recognized that there was scope for expansion within the industry; particularly for a high quality service, and so a five-year expansion plan was put in place with the company currently on schedule to achieve this by increasing turnover on average by 20% year on year for five years.
Also offering free independent advice on asbestos matters to customers, as well as refusing to utilise a one solution fits all approach, Solent Environmental has obtained a solid reputation for quality, service and cost-effectiveness. This means it has carried out projects for a wide range of discerning companies and organisations, and is currently about to commence works on the Building Schools for the future projects in West Sussex with Balfour Beatty. In addition, up until Christmas 2010, Solent Environmental was working on Jersey removing the asbestos from the old dairy to enable works to commence on a new high quality residential development. The company also continues to work on a number of prestigious listed buildings within the south for private clients who request no publicity.
Main clients include such blue-chip names as Southampton City Council, Hampshire County Council, Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust, plus main contractors, letting agents, quantity surveyors, housing associations, the insurance industry, and private individuals. Moreover, the company is working to establish more framework agreements within the social housing and NHS sectors, across southern England and northwards as far as Manchester.
Solent Environmental is a company that is constantly looking to set new benchmarks too. In August 2010, for example, it was granted a Waste Transfer License, which allowed it to open the ‘New Forest Waste Transfer Station’, dictating that the company is now able to store asbestos waste in lockable skips at Solent House, before disposing of it to Landfill. This has meant a reduction in overall vehicle movements, which in turn has helped reduce the carbon footprint, whilst also considerably reducing waste disposal costs.
A ISO9001:2008 registered company via UKS, Solent Environmental has achieved the ARCA Gold Training Award for its supervisors for the past three years and is CHAS, EXOR and Constructionline accredited, as well as maintaining a three-year HSE Asbestos Removal License.
