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.