Asbestos found in Southampton pre-school hit by flooding

Stagnant water pooled in Harefield Community Pre-School last August, causing £20,000 worth of damage.

The charity-run nursery has been closed for eight months after repair works stalled and asbestos was found in the hallway of the building.

But manager Tina Ford is determined to open its doors once more before she bows out and retires.

‘We thought we were going to be back at work by October half term, but it’s been more than half a year now’, she said.

The flooding at Harefield Pre-School last year (Image: Harefield Pre-School)

Tina added: “This has gone on for so long, it’s frustrating. I didn’t expect all these challenges.

“It was absolutely horrendous when we walked into the nursery after the flood, it was just awful.

“The hardest part about it all was that we spent a lot of money on new resources which was all destroyed.

“Things were floating in the water and there was mould everywhere.”

READ MORE: Nursery hit by flooding eight weeks ago remains closed as repairs stall

According to Tina, the pre-school has lost about £80,000 worth of fees paid by parents and guardians.

This is money that will be extremely difficult to get back.

Tina said: “Some of that money is covered by our insurance company, but we usually get paid per term for the children, so we have still lost out.

“Luckily, we did have quite good reserves so we could pay our staff which is important as people have mortgages, bills to pay, and commitments.”

Louise Kent (left) and Tina Ford inside Harefield Pre-School (Image: Newsquest)

Despite retaining some staff members, three have left the pre-school since the flood.

Tina said: “We are now in a catch-22 because we have received funding to take on two-year-olds in the pre-school, but we need more staff if we welcome more children.

“This is another challenge for us but I’m sure we’ll get there.

“I am due to retire this month and it’s heart-breaking because I have missed my last year at the nursery.

“I am staying on until the summer, but this has been terrible for me and the staff.”

Despite the challenges, the pre-school is due to reopen on April 29 - according to Southampton City Council, which owns the building.

A spokesperson said: “Harefield Pre School closed last summer for works due to a burst pipe, which caused significant water damage to the school and resulted in flooding.

“During the closure, asbestos was found in the tiles in the hallway.

“The tiles were removed by a contractor and new carpets have been installed.

"An asbestos survey was carried out in September 2023 and there has been no further asbestos found in the pre-school.

“The council carried out a site visit to the school and confirmed that all of the issues relating to the burst pipe have now been rectified.”