Radon and Berwick-upon-Tweed
North Northumberland Partnership Roll-Out program
In the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed there are some dwellings where Radon gas may pose a health risk to you and your family.
This page will provide you with the facts needed to understand the risks, know how to test for it, and what to do if your house is found to be affected by Radon gas.
Radon the Facts (back to top)
Radon is a natural, radioactive gas found in soil and rocks. It has no colour, taste or smell. Levels vary from country to country, region to region and even from house to house in the same street. In open spaces outdoors, when Radon mixes with air, it is quickly diluted into the atmosphere. But when air containing Radon rises from the soil and rocks beneath your home it may find its way in - mainly through cracks in floors, walls and gaps around service pipes. Sometimes when this occurs the concentration of Radon gas will be high enough that reducing the level is recommended.
What are the Risks?
Health studies around the world have linked Radon with lung cancer. Radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer; the first is smoking. People who are exposed to high levels of Radon are more likely to get lung cancer, and the risk to smokers and passive smokers; living in someone else’s smoke, will be much higher than the risk to non-smokers. The reasons for this are not fully understood though it is known that Radon tends to bind to smoke particles. Households at risk from Radon can easily take simple and effective steps to make their home safe.
When is Action needed?
The Government’s advisory bodies recommend that after testing, if results are higher than the recommended Action Level, then you should carry out some remedial works to reduce the levels. The current Action Level for this gas is 200 Becquerels per cubic metre of air (Bq/m 3) . Though for increased safety you may still wish to reduce the level to as low as practicable, even if your property is just below the 200Bq/m 3 mark.
Radon in the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed (back to top)
The Radon Atlas of England and Wales (published in 2002 by NRPB) identified an increased risk of high Radon levels in Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough , particularly around the Wooler area. A link to this map can be found at the bottom of the page
The map shows areas of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough , that have been designated ‘Radon Affected Areas', which are areas where the risk of a house having a Radon concentration above the Action Level is 1% or more (i.e. at least 1 in a 100 properties have a problem level of Radon.)
What are we going to do?
We have set up a partnership to work within the National Radon Roll-Out Programme to combat the health risks posed by exposure to residential Radon in North Northumberland.
Manager of the Cheviot Centre, Glendale Gateway Trust and Parish Council Member John Davidson commented:
“This is a great opportunity to reassure ourselves that our homes are a safe environment for ourselves and our families. For a limited period we are being offered free Radon testing and lots of help and advice for any householders whose home needs Radon levels reduced. Many other parts of the country where Radon is present have already gladly taken up this offer so I am especially pleased that the Partnership has been able to obtain the fully funded Roll-Out Programme for this area. So many national and local bodies and groups are co-operating on this that it is definitely a chance not to be missed.”
North Northumberland Radon Partnership
- Northumberland Care Trust
- North East Health Protection Agency
- Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council
- Sure Start
- Glendale Gateway Trust
- Wooler Parish Council
- local GPs
- Berwick Family Centre
The intention is that Berwick Borough Council will act as the front line organisation for the local Roll-Out Programme, with the support of the rest of the Partnership, the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency and the Building Research Establishment.
The programme started late October 2005 and will run until October 2006.
Because of the increased risk, the programme will target all dwellings in areas with a 5% or greater chance of being above the Action Level (mainly Wooler and the surrounding areas).
This site aims to give you some background information about Radon and an idea of the initiatives that are being taken over the 12 months of the programme.
North Northumberland Partnership Roll-Out program (back to top)
The Radon Roll-Out Programme is a series of activities that are designed to help people in Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough find out about Radon levels in their home, and, most importantly, to take steps to reduce the Radon level if it is above the Action Level.
The Programme includes :
- Providing a free 0800 helpline to get local expert advice
- An awareness raising publicity campaign for householders in the affected areas
- Offering free Radon tests for all those households in areas where there is a 5% risk or more of homes exceeding the Radon Action Level (See Map )
- Qualifying households will receive a letter inviting them to ask for a test.
- Testing of all Council homes within the 5% and above risk areas
- Offering free visits by trained Council staff to occupiers of properties that have high Radon levels, to advise on remedial measures
- Training for local community representatives, housing and housing finance professionals and community health workers
- Training of local builders in Radon remediation techniques
- Free re-tests to check remediation measures have been successful
- Grant aid which may be available if your property needs works to be undertaken because of Radon and you are receiving an eligible benefit
Further Information
If you require more information regarding Radon we have a useful information pack that we can send to you, which includes a map of the local Affected Areas, advice on testing and reducing levels, and guidance for people buying or selling homes, as well as general background information.
Please telephone 0800 011 2404 and ask for a Radon Pack. If you have further questions having read the Pack, someone from the partnership will be pleased to contact you to discuss any queries you may have.
Alternatively the links at the bottom of the page will take you to websites that hold a lot of information on the subject, including answers to many Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Radon Testing (back to top)
testing kit
The only way to find out whether a dwelling has a high level of Radon is by having a test done.
Certain householders in parts of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough will be receiving an offer of a free test as part of the Radon Roll Out Programme(link to Roll out section above).
Testing involves the placing of small detectors in your home for a period of 3 months, in order to get an accurate result.
We recommend that people who are living in an Affected Area should have their homes tested to find out what the level of Radon is.
There are around 13,000 dwellings in the Borough. Of these approximately 700 have been tested for Radon. 66 dwellings have Radon levels above the Action Level, nearly all in the Wooler area so far. It is estimated that up to 300 properties in total will be found to be above the Action Level. The highest level found so far in a home in the Borough is 610 Bequerels/m3. Significantly higher levels have been found elsewhere in the country, however, any raised levels are worthwhile reducing in order to minimise the risk of lung cancer.
The Radiological Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency will at the same time be carrying out a research project in some other parts of the Borough which again will offer free testing to selected households to get more background information on levels away from the main affected area of the Cheviot Hills.
If you have not been invited to test because you are outside the higher risk areas being targeted in the programme you can still pay for a test kit which currently costs £37:37p. See the Radon Testing link at the bottom of the page.
So you’ve found Radon, what do you do now?
Various remedies exist. It is important to choose a method that is likely to work in the individual circumstances. The method to select will depend on several things, including:
- The construction of the dwelling
- The level of Radon present
- The reduction in level that you are aiming for
You can request a visit from a member of the council’s environmental health unit to advise on possible action. You could then have the necessary work carried out by a contractor who has received some specialist training. The Council maintains a list of such contractors. Alternatively if you are an experienced Do-it-Yourselfer you may wish to carry out the work yourself. Again you should obtain advice before carrying this out. Finally you will need to retest your house after the work has been done to ensure it has been successful. The retest is currently free of charge whether or not you are in the Roll-Out Programme Area provided you have carried out appropriate remediation works. There is a wealth of further information available through the web links at the bottom of this page.
I'm moving to/selling a property in an area that I've been told has a risk of Radon - what does this mean? (back to top)
Radon is found everywhere, but usually in very small quantities.
Even in high-risk areas it doesn't necessarily follow that your property will suffer high levels. Ask the seller if the house has been tested and to see the letter of results. At the present time sellers do not have to volunteer this information, but if asked they must legally provide what information they have. Testing kits are available from the Health Protection Agency.
One of the standard questions before buying/selling property, when a solicitor carries out a legal search with the local Council, is whether the property is in a Radon Affected Area. If it is, the next question will be, has it been tested? So it is in the interests of anyone in a Radon Affected Area who thinks they may sell at some stage, to have their property tested now to reduce the chances of any hold-up or sudden lack of interest on the buyer’s part.
If the property has not been tested and the buyer is concerned because the property is in a Radon Affected Area the sale could still go ahead with a so-called “Radon Bond” organized between the parties usually by their solicitors. This is simply a legally agreed retention of a small part of the purchase price usually £1000 by the purchaser that is written into the contract.
The retention is usually for up to 12months during which the purchaser has the house tested (taking 3 months) and then if it is found to be over the Action Level has the necessary remediation works done using the retention money. Any remaining money is then passed on to the seller. Of course if the property is below the Action Level the whole of the retention less the test cost is passed on to the seller when the results of the 3 month test are available. This is usually 4-6 weeks after the return of the detectors to the measurement laboratory.
For more detail see the external weblink to “ Radon and House Sales” at the bottom of the page.
How to contact us (back to top)
If you would like to get in touch with us, please use the detalis below. You can speak to us directly on the free phone provided.
National Advisory Bodies (back to top)
The Government, the Building Research Establishment Ltd (BRE) and the Radiological Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency (formally the National Radiological Protection Board - NRPB)
Map of Radon Incidence in the Wooler Area (note: Does not show whole Borough) (local map)
External Weblinks to the above Bodies :
Map of Radon Incidence in England and Wales
Radon Questions and Answers
Building Research Establishment
Radon – Health Protection Agency (HPA) information
Radon and House Sales
Radon testing
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