---
title: "RH019 - Legal advice re asbestos issues at Boots unit, Cleveland Centre"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e558"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e558"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e558.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e558.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Middlesbrough Council"
published: "2026-08-17"
---

# RH019 - Legal advice re asbestos issues at Boots unit, Cleveland Centre

Buyer: Middlesbrough Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e558

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## Summary

Middlesbrough Council procured legal advice concerning a dispute with Boots UK Ltd about exposed asbestos in the basement of a unit occupied by Boots at the Cleveland Centre. The work covers advice to the Council on the asbestos issue and the related dispute. This is a legal services requirement, falling within business and professional services. Delivery is associated with Middlesbrough, in the North East of England. The buyer is Middlesbrough Council, a sub-central public authority. The requirement is focused on a specific commercial property and environmental liability issue rather than general legal support, making it relevant to firms advising public bodies on property disputes, asbestos liabilities or related commercial matters.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to Hanover Law Limited. It used a direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition, under the Procurement Act 2023. The award is active and the contract was signed on 21 July 2026. The contract runs from 21 July 2026 to 20 July 2027. Its value is £41,666.66 excluding VAT and £50,000 including VAT. The published procurement is recorded as a single completed lot. The award concerns legal services for the asbestos dispute at the Boots unit in Cleveland Centre. No separate award date is recorded, but the signed contract date establishes when the agreement was executed.

This award demonstrates demand from Middlesbrough Council for specialist legal advice on asbestos exposure in a commercial property dispute. Firms that advise councils, landlords or occupiers on asbestos liability, property-related disputes and negotiations with major commercial tenants would be the closest competitors for comparable work. Credibility would come from relevant experience handling technically sensitive asbestos matters alongside contentious property or commercial advice, and from the ability to advise a public authority through a dispute involving an occupied retail unit. The selected supplier is an SME, indicating that this type of focused requirement can suit a specialist practice rather than only a large national law firm. Experience of public-sector instructions would also strengthen a future response.

## Notice

The Council is in dispute with Boots UK Ltd (Boots) in relation to one of the units that they currently occupy at the Cleveland Centre. The dispute is in relation to exposed asbestos within the basement of the demise.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077992-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | 21 Jul 2026 - 20 Jul 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £41,666 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Middlesbrough Council |
| Locality | MIDDLESBROUGH |
| Postcode area | Cleveland |
| Postcode | TS1 9FT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC32 South Teesside |
| Local authority | Middlesbrough |
| Electoral ward | Newport |
| Westminster constituency | Middlesbrough and Thornaby East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | HANOVER LAW LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

## Release History

- 17 Aug 2026 at 10:50 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077992-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077992-2026
  17th August 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk
- https://www.hanoverlaw.co.uk/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e558. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e558.json.