£750,000 asbestos roof refurbishment planned for a Gosport nursery
A Gosport nursery is set for a major refurbishment after asbestos was found on the underside of its ageing flat roof.
Hampshire County Council will invest £750,000 to replace the roof at Haven Nursery School, remove the asbestos coating and carry out a full internal upgrade, including new ceilings, lighting, carpets and redecoration.
The school, built in 1949, has a flat roof over its main corridor with a textured, sprayed asbestos coating on the underside.
The material was originally applied to provide fire resistance and is currently sealed behind a ceiling, meaning it is not exposed to pupils or staff.
However, council officials say the asbestos coating has reached the end of its life and is now preventing safe access for maintenance work in the ceiling void.
At the same time, the roof itself is deteriorating and has developed multiple leaks.
As part of the project, the roof covering will be replaced, new insulation installed and rooflights upgraded.
Pupil toilets, described as being in poor condition, will also be refurbished with new cubicles and sanitaryware.
The council said removing the asbestos is “best practice and sensible risk management”.
For health and safety reasons, the nursery school will be closed during the removal process. To allow the work to go ahead, Haven Nursery School will temporarily relocate to the former Peel Common Infant School building. Funding for the project is from the Department for Education Schools Condition Allocation.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2026 and is expected to be completed by summer 2026. The project was formally approved on January 19 by the cabinet member for universal services, Councillor Kirsty North.