A WEST KILBRIDE family is urging North Ayrshire Council to force the owner of a derelict building that sheds dangerous asbestos into their garden to make it safe.

Stuart and Kathy McCammond of Castle View have had to stop their 13-year-old son from playing in their garden backing on to the derelict and heavily vandalised former Hillcrest Coachworks in fear of the effects of the deadly material.

Kathy said: “Every winter the building gets more and more derelict and when there is bad weather the asbestos roofing ends up in our garden.

“It’s only going to get worse and worse and it’s a concern.” The McCammonds along with their neighbours have been complaining to the council for years about the building but following an inspection last week, planning officers have written to them saying the building is ‘in a sound condition and not a danger to the public’.

The council also say they do not have the power to take further action as ‘there is no putrescible [decaying] material present and the conditions do not constitute a public health nuisance’.

The council has asked the owner of the building to remove loose asbestos and clear the land and block access but when The Herald visited the site this week it was easily accessible and large slabs of asbestos lay strewn around the floor of the building.

The council also say that the removal of the asbestos is the responsibility of the owner.

The site has been owned since the early 90s by Bernie MacLaughlin, a Pastor with The Bridge Church in Kilwinning.

Mr MacLaughlin is out of the country on missionary work but a spokesperson commenting on his behalf said: “We have been dealing closely with the council and have done everything that they have asked of us by removing loose formers from the roof, clearing fly-tipped waste and cutting back vegetation.

“We are now looking into blocking access with fencing and hope to have this done as soon as possible.

“We will be demolishing the building as soon as funds allow and we are asking the council to give us a demolition order so that we have the necessary paperwork.

“We don’t want to be an upset to the neighbours and we understand that there has been nuisance and noise with kids skateboarding there.” Mr MacLaughlin’s spokesperson also said there are no immediate plans for the future of the site but it will be vacant with planning permission approved following its demolition.

Kathy McCammond reacted sceptically to the comments.

She said: “We are just getting fobbed off.

"Every time we contact the council they say ‘we’ll do this, we’ll do that’ and six months later we have to get on to them again.

"This has been going on for six years.

“If this man truly is a pastor going out with care into the community and has the welfare of children in mind how does that sit with the children in this street?

“Nobody wants to take ownership of the problem.

"I can’t believe the council doesn’t have the powers to make the owner of the building sort it out.” A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “In view of ongoing concerns, a new inspection will be carried out at the site to investigate any health risk potential.

“This complaint was investigated fully last summer by our Environmental Health staff who concluded that there was no health risk at that time from the asbestos material.

“Asbestos cement only presents a health risk to people who are engaged in drilling, sawing or actively working with the material in an abrasive way – or if it is crumbling and flaky.”