Scots housebuilder and SNP donor accused of burying asbestos dust under homes

dailyrecord.co.uk:

One of Scotland’s biggest building companies has been accused in documents lodged in court of burying deadly asbestos under new homes sold to hundreds of families.Springfield Properties took legal action to gag a subcontractor who claims he was instructed to unwittingly tear down buildings full of toxic material which was then used as backfill on other sites.Details of Martin McGowan’s allegations have now been revealed in court documents after the firm was fined £10,000 for breaking health and safety laws.Both Springfield Properties and its chairman and founder Sandy Adam - who recently received an OBE - have been major financial donors to the SNP and Scottish Government ministers have also faced allegations of cronyism over meeting with company executives.A source said: “This is a company with close links to the SNP and details this case could raise serious questions for First Minister John Swinney.”In allegations, outlined in an email to Springfield senior management, subcontractor McGowan said “asbestos, crude oil and other hazardous materials” had been buried at the firm’s sites across Scotland where new estates now stand with properties sold for up to £500,000.The email states: “I have been left with no choice but to inform current home owners, families and children whom have no knowledge of the hazardous risks which lie in or on the grounds of their new homes.“I will be sending a detailed letter to each and every home owner who have purchased a house from Springfield from Uddingston, Motherwell, West Linton and any potential buyers of Milton of Campsie to inform them of the potential risks that they have bought into without any transparency from yourself.“I will explain to the unfortunate clients that the asbestos