Asbestos has been found in Newtown's Ladywell House office offices which is being renovated by owners Powys County Council.
The council has said that work at Ladywell House to remove the asbestos will take place outside of work hours.
Work replacing windows at the former Welsh Government owned building will start as soon as part of a planned building refurbishment work expected to last until mid-summer.
Last month the council revealed that Welsh Government has signed a new lease for its offices at Ladywell House where it is situated on the third and ground floors. It will relinquish its offices on the ground floor.
A spokesman for the county council said: “The presence of asbestos in buildings of the age of Ladywell House is not unusual and was known to the county council. The council is taking the opportunity to remove materials containing the substance during planned works.
“The work will be carried out in-line with the ‘duty to manage’ under the Asbestos Regulations by licensed contractors. The work will be carried out outside of normal office hours and will not affect the operation of the building.”
Cabinet Member for Property, Councillor Phyl Davies, said: “We are all facing significant financial pressures and the sharing of facilities is an obvious way to ensure that precious resources are used as efficiently as possible.
“I hope the renewed agreements at Ladywell House, Newtown, are the start of improved public sector cooperation between different bodies."
Asbestos is a term for a group of minerals made of microscopic fibres.
Before its dangers were known, asbestos was often used in buildings for insulation, flooring and roofing and sprayed on ceilings and walls. It is now banned in the UK.
Buildings constructed before the year 2000 may still have asbestos in them.
If the asbestos-containing materials inside these buildings remain intact, they pose very little risk.
It can take up to 30 years for exposure to manifest itself as a disease.
Photo: Ladywell House
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter
