A large Nissen hut on a farm in Haddenham is to be demolished by specialist contractors as the structure may contain asbestos.

William Dennis, of Dennis (Haddenham) Ltd, has notified planners at East Cambridgeshire District Council of intentions to remove the structure at Willow Hall Farm.

But as the 350 metres-squared Nissen hut is pre-1970 and the roof may contain asbestos, the risks involved means experts will be needed for the demolition.

In a report by East Cambs planners, a section from the scientific officer said: “It is difficult to see from the photo whether or not it is an asbestos cement roof.

“However, the application form says ‘fibre cement’ which probably means asbestos fibre cement.

“If so, it would need to be dismantled by hand... and sent to landfill which has a permit to dispose of asbestos waste.”

Those carrying out the work will need to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment and the materials will be collected in a specialist enclosed skip.

It will then be transported to a landfill site which is licenced to accept asbestos waste.

In his application, Mr Dennis explains the Nissen hut will be replaced with another more modern building similar to those already on the site.

“There is no information regarding the new building but it may require a prior notification application or planning permission,” say the East Cambs District Council report.

The demolition work can only be carried out Monday-Friday from 7:30am to 6pm. On Saturday, working hours can be between 7:30pm and 1pm.

There can be no work on Sundays or Public Holidays.

The application forms states the work should be carried out by the end of August this year.

The Nissen hut was designed during the First World War by Major Peter Normal Nissen, an American-born, Canadian-British engineer and inventor.

They were mainly used for military purposes, especially barracks, but they were also used for housing, storage and in agricultural settings.

Their prefabricated steel structure meant they were economical considering wartime shortages of building materials. The structures were also portable.