Building on Contaminated Land

Development on land that may have contamination in the ground requires the developer to submit information on the nature of the contamination, the risks posed by its presence, and the methodology for remediation of the site to ensure that it becomes fit for its new use. This may be a pre-application requirement or one dealt with by a planning condition. In some instances a Section 106 agreement may be needed to address ongoing considerations such as the continued pollution of groundwater or the need to maintain ground gas protection measures.

Any site with the potential for contamination to be present that is being considered for development should be discussed, prior to making an application, with the Planning Officer and the Environmental Health Officer. A planning advice note has been prepared to assist in this regard.

Contaminated Land Advice Note