A £75,000 contract has been put up for grabs to remove asbestos from the dining hall ceiling of a Leigh primary school.

West Leigh Infants School, in Ronald Hill Grove, has asbestos in its dining hall ceiling, and Southend Council has put out a £75,000 contract to find someone equipped to tear the ceiling down, clear the asbestos and then replace it.

It is understood the asbestos does not post a risk to children, though work will also require electrical wiring and fitting work in addition to asbestos removal.

Tory councillor for West Leigh, Owen Cartey, believes the school will continue to go from strength to strength once work is complete.

He said: “It’s imperative that children have a safe environment in which to learn and grow. We are lucky in West Leigh to have one of the best ‘outstanding’ schools in the city right on our doorstep.

“Moving forward I hope that disruption to pupils’ learning can be as minimal as possible, and I’ll work closely with officers at the council and West Leigh Infants School wherever possible to make sure the needs of pupils are always a priority.

“I’m sure that once work is completed on the dining hall the school will continue going from strength to strength.”

A council spokesman said: “As part of our capital investment and priority works programme, the Council carries out works across the buildings we own which includes some schools.

“At West Leigh Infants School, we are seeking a suitably qualified contractor to remove and replace the dining hall ceiling and associated asbestos removal, along with electrical wiring and fitting work.

“These are planned preventative works in preparation for future work that is planned for the roof and do not pose a risk to staff or pupils at the school.

“The procurement process is being conducted electronically via the council’s e-tender facility and is open to applications.”