A McHale family business with asbestos roots going back to 1979, trading as Leeds Environmental from 2019 and as LE Group since 2023. Directly employed crews, our own plant, and a management team that has worked on the tools.
The McHale family founded its first asbestos business, MCP Environmental, in Bradford in 1979 and grew it to 125 staff before selling it in 2015. The partnership that became LE Group was registered in 2012, and Leeds Environmental began trading in 2019 from a one-acre depot on the Whitehall Industrial Estate in Leeds, a mile from the M621, as a specialist environmental contractor for housing associations, councils and main contractors across the North and Midlands.
The HSE granted our first asbestos licence in August 2020 and upgraded it to a full three-year licence at the first renewal. ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 followed in December 2020, then BM TRADA Q-Mark certification for fire stopping, fire door installation and fire door maintenance in 2023, the year we became LE Group LLP.
Today the business runs three departments under one audited management system: passive fire, with its own compliance manager, risk assessor, surveyors and installers; asbestos surveying, run as an independent inspection body so the surveyors never mark their own homework; and asbestos removal, led by a contracts manager with pre-works planning, supervisors and directly employed operatives. Nothing is subcontracted except independent analysts and licensed scaffolding.
In Ireland we trade as Longford Environmental from the Townspark Industrial Estate on the Athlone Road, with an Irish payroll since 2020, a management system mirrored from Leeds, our own standard operating procedures for licensed-standard and non-licensed removal, HSA notification on every job and waste consigned to licensed Irish hazardous-waste facilities.
We put our name to it: the Building Mental Health Charter pledge signed in 2024 with a trained mental health first aider on the team since 2022, a Modern Slavery policy, right-to-work checks on every employee, and a minuted monthly meeting where safety, audit results and client feedback are standing items.
- 1979MCP Environmental founded in Bradford by Matthew and Janet McHale, the family's first asbestos business, later 125 staff strong.
- 2012The partnership that became LE Group is registered. MCP Environmental is sold in 2015.
- 2019Leeds Environmental starts trading from the Whitehall Industrial Estate depot. ACAD and UKATA membership, Constructionline Silver, Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier.
- 2020First HSE asbestos licence. ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001. Constructionline Gold. Longford Environmental trading in Ireland with its own SHEQ management system.
- 2021Full three-year HSE licence. Principal contractor plan for asbestos remediation at Gormanston Camp for the Irish Defence Forces.
- 2022ACAD Excellence in Audit award. Surveying department opens. Passive fire works begin for Anchor Hanover. First Irish surveys, and plant-room plans of work for HSE Ireland hospitals in Mullingar and Castlepollard.
- 2023Renamed LE Group LLP. BM TRADA Q-Mark for fire stopping, fire door installation and maintenance. Manchester City Council estate programme with Equans. Achilles UVDB Verify audit scored 100% in every discipline.
- 2024Nottingham tower-block fire stopping begins with United Living. Q-Mark scope extended. HSE licence renewed to 2027. Building Mental Health Charter signed.
- 2025Broxtowe FRA programme with McConnell. Cramlington estate for Wates. Irish HSA permit regime adopted for every asbestos job from December 2025.
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Matt McHale
Managing DirectorA P402 asbestos surveyor since 2004. BM TRADA approved installer for fire stopping and fire doors, approved fire door maintainer, and holder of a Level 3 fire risk assessment qualification. Still the named approved person on our Q-Mark certificate.
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Mike McHale
Business Development DirectorIn the family construction business since 1985 and a former asbestos operative, supervisor and asbestos manager, so client conversations start from how the job is actually done.
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Claire McHale
SHEQ ManagerNEBOSH General and NEBOSH Management of Health and Safety, CITB SMSTS and P402. Three years as an asbestos surveyor and four running the surveying department before taking on safety, health, environment and quality for the whole group.