Pollution
Contaminated land
How may land become contaminated?
Land may become contaminated when substances have found their way on or into the ground - often due to industrial disposal, leaks or spillages. These substances may still be present in the ground above background or acceptable levels.
Land formerly used by industries may now be used for other purposes which are more sensitive to the potential effects of contamination. Our Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy sets out how we inspect our area for potentially contaminated land.
Buying or selling property
If you are buying or selling a property it is important to know if the land may be affected by potential contamination because of its historical uses.
Our Homebuyer and Sellers' Guide provides information on how potential contamination and liability may affect property acquisitions and sales.
Information requests and charges
We hold numerous records which can be used to assess potentially contaminated land. Such assessments may be for land redevelopment, acquisition or due diligence purposes.
The factual information we hold can be obtained through Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), but may only be used for non-commercial, research or review purposes.
Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.
Submit an online request for information
Under EIR we have 20 working days to respond to your request.
Our charges depend on the complexity of your enquiry, availability of former records and area of land, but are typically:
- Residential property related information - £42
- Commercial or development site - A minimum of £168
- Download the 2019/20 price list for full details.
Charges are payable by invoice upon completion.
Report an incident
Contact us to report any of the following contaminated land issues:
- Records of processes, chemicals used, or pollution incidents occurring at former factories (anecdotal evidence, photographs).
- Knowledge of materials buried on former factories or deposited in landfill sites.
Flytipping
Land development
If you are a developer or environmental consultant looking for guidance on redeveloping land which may be potentially contaminated, please see the contaminated land page in our business section.