Environmental Services

Clifford Devlin are a HSE licensed asbestos removal contractor and can undertake or manage your asbestos remediation requirements from inception to completion providing all certification for re-occupation.

All of our work is carried out in full compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the latest industry standards. Our multi-disciplined operational teams apply state-of-the-art techniques and technologies to contain, remove and dispose of asbestos containing materials (ACMs).

Our methodology is fully documented into Plans of Work and submitted to the HSE and the client in advance for approval. We employ fully controlled and semi-controlled techniques where appropriate to safely remove ACMs.

Licenced work is carried out in airtight enclosures, placed under negative pressure with a fitted 3–stage airlock system, and are smoke-tested to establish their integrity prior to commencement of removal works.

Non-Licenced work is carried out in semi controlled conditions within Respirator zones and excluded from others. Our site teams carry out rigorous checks during the set-up and removal process, this is recorded on their daily permits using their tablets, the system enables Management to monitor the progress of works from our head office in “real time”.

Our project supervisors and operatives are trained, certified, and audited, with extensive experience in all aspects of asbestos abatement, providing clients with the assurance and confidence that their asbestos issues are handled with professionalism and care.

At Clifford Devlin, we understand that contaminated land can present a significant barrier to development. Left unmanaged, pollutants such as asbestos, hydrocarbons, foul waste, heavy metals and other hazardous materials pose serious risks to human health, ecology, water-courses and the wider environment.

Our specialist land remediation services are designed to remove these risks swiftly and effectively, transforming complex sites into safe, development-ready land.

Drawing on decades of experience in environmental management and enabling works, we provide a comprehensive suite of remediation solutions. These can be delivered as a standalone service or fully integrated into our demolition and enabling works packages, providing clients with a seamless, end-to-end approach to preparing land for redevelopment.

Our expertise spans a wide range of environmental services. We specialise in the removal and treatment of asbestos in soil, as well as the bioremediation of hydrocarbon and organic pollutants. We manage the excavation, segregation, and safe disposal of contaminated soils, alongside comprehensive groundwater and leachate management. To ensure projects meet the highest standards, we provide full site validation, testing, and reporting, delivering clear, compliant results for every project.

We pride ourselves on offering a safe, reliable and cost-effective resolution, regardless of the scale or complexity of contamination.

Every project is approached with rigorous risk management, innovative techniques and the latest industry best practice, ensuring works are completed efficiently and to the highest environmental standards.

By working collaboratively with developers, consultants and local authorities, we ensure remedia-tion is tailored to the unique needs of each site, allowing projects to progress without unnecessary delays or costs.

At Clifford Devlin, we see land remediation not just as a tech-nical process, but as a vital step in unlocking the potential of land.

The introduction of Clifford Devlin’s Mould Remediation Service reflects the growing national focus on damp and mould in residential and public-sector housing, now recognised as a serious health and safety risk rather than a routine maintenance issue.

This focus was intensified following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, which highlighted the dangers of pro-longed exposure to mould in poorly maintained social housing.

The resulting Awaab’s Law, part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, places clear legal duties on landlords to investigate, remediate, and prevent damp and mould hazards within strict timescales, while providing transparency and accountability to tenants.

For many housing providers, compliance presents both logisti-cal and technical challenges.

Clifford Devlin offers a trusted solution, combining decades of experience in environmental risk management, hazardous materi-als removal, and contamination control with specialist training in biological hazards.

Our teams apply rigorous assess-ment, containment, and removal protocols, alongside verification processes that ensure remedia-tion is thorough, safe, and lasting.

By addressing not only visible mould but also underlying causes such as moisture ingress, ventila-tion issues, and structural damp, we deliver solutions that protect residents’ health, reduce the risk of recurrence, and support land-lords in meeting regulatory requirements with confidence.

Our service is built on the same high standards of health, safety, and quality assurance that underpin all Clifford Devlin environmental operations, ensuring every project is managed professionally, efficiently, and transparently.

At Clifford Devlin, we understand that pigeon guano represents a significant hazard to health, safety, and building integrity. Left untreated, it can corrode surfaces, harbour dangerous pathogens, and compromise the safe use of premises.

Pigeon guano can also cause major disruption to construction and refurbishment projects. The highly acidic droppings attack and weaken building materials, leading to costly repairs and in some cases, structural instability.

In addition, the accumulation of guano often harbours harmful microorganisms, including air-borne fungi which can present serious health risks to site operatives.

These conditions can delay pro-jects significantly, as contaminated areas must undergo specialist decontamination before work can safely continue

With over sixty years of experience delivering environmental and enabling services, Clifford Devlin has the expertise to manage guano contamination safely and effectively. Our teams are fully trained in hazardous waste handling and equipped with the latest protective equipment and cleaning technology.

Every project begins with a detailed assessment of the contamination and its impact, followed by the controlled removal of waste to prevent the spread of contaminants.

Once cleared, we disinfect affect-ed areas using industry approved biocides and where necessary, carry out surface repairs or redecoration to restore the property.

Our approach ensures that sites are not only cleaned, but made safe, allowing businesses, land-lords, homeowners, and construction teams to move forward with works.

Lead based paints, commonly found in older buildings, present serious environmental and health risks. During refurbishment or demolition, dry removal methods can generate airborne dust that not only endangers workers and occupants but also contaminates soil and water. Effective, responsible removal demands a rigorous, multi-layered approach one that Clifford Devlin excels in delivering.

Conventional dry methods, such as sanding and abrasive blasting, release fine lead particles into the air, where they can remain suspended for long periods. This increases the risk of inhalation and wide dispersal.

Settling lead dust and paint fragments can infiltrate surrounding soil, surfaces, and waterways, creating persistent environmental hazards.

Lead exposure is particularly dangerous to children, through inhalation or ingestion, and also presents chronic health risks for adults.

Building on more than six decades of specialist construc-tion and environmental experi-ence, Clifford Devlin applies a systematic, safety-first approach to lead removal. Work areas are sealed using negative air pressure enclosures to confine airborne dust and prevent its escape.

Wet scraping, wet sanding, and chemical removal techniques are used to suppress dust generation. Operatives are equipped with full protective clothing, gloves, and respirators to meet the highest standards of person-al safety.

Specialist HEPA-filtered vacuums and dust extraction tools capture particles at source, while thorough cleaning with water and detergent ensures any remaining lead residue is removed. All waste including dust, paint fragments, and contaminated mate-rials is securely sealed and disposed of in compliance with environmental regulations.

Asbestos material that has been removed is sealed in clearly labelled, heavy-duty polythene sacks before being transported to a licensed disposal site.

We operate our own fleet of purpose-built vehicles for trans-porting ACMs which have been customised with air-tight 2 compartments to prevent fibres from being released during transit. Clifford Devlin operates its own asbestos waste transfer station in Essex which is licensed by the Environmental Agency for managing the disposal of asbestos containing material.

With a site that has higher quantities of waste being removed, it will be beneficial for the use of a hazardous skip on-site skip for the waste to be stored in and transported to a designated landfill, Clifford Devlin can organise this with our Hazardous Waste Management Specialists.

The facility is capable of holding up to 32 cubic metres of asbestos waste on a daily basis and can be used to bulk asbestos waste from London – based projects rather than transporting them directly to landfill, thereby reducing transport costs and enhancing the carbon-footprint of our works.

All of our disposal procedures are carried out in compliance with the Hazardous Waste Regulations.