Contaminated Land Services
Our contaminated land services are designed to help developers, planning consultants and land owners with issues caused by the presence of potentially hazardous substances and materials.
From clients managing land affected by past use to clients preparing potentially contaminated sites for a new development, our team can support you.
All of the treatment and remedial solutions we provide guarantee that you meet regulatory compliance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and we ensure that what we do works to support planning applications and remain compliant with the local authority and the Environment Agency.
Types of Contaminated Land Assessment Services
The main focus of our services is to work closely with clients to assess and manage potentially contaminated land. From there, we can ensure that the particular site causes no significant harm to human health, controlled waters, protected species or the surrounding environment.
With a range of different approaches for land contaminated assessment and remediation services, we offer preliminary risk assessments, such as detailed quantitative risk assessments and qualitative risk assessments. An initial conceptual site model enables us to apply site-specific assessment criteria to highlight any current or potential risks based on the site and the wider environment around it.
Below, we’ve explained the full range of treatment and remediation options we provide:
Coal Mining Risk Assessment
Setting out issues with ground instability, subsidence risk and shallow or unrecorded mine workings, a coal mining risk assessment (CMRA) is conducted under the Coal Authority requirements on any developments within historic mining areas. Due diligence, regulatory requirements and alignment with environmental protection legislation are important considerations in completing the assessment process.
Contaminated Land Remediation
Working in remediation design, remedial solutions, verification and validation reporting and post-remediation monitoring, a contaminated land remediation allows for our team to create a robust remediation strategy. A structured options appraisal will help with selecting remediation options, and both enforcement-driven responses and voluntary remediation may be used.
Contaminated Land Risk Assessment
Made up of a two-tiered process, a contaminated land risk assessment starts with a phase 1 preliminary qualitative risk assessment desk study before moving into a phase 2 intrusive site investigation. It covers unacceptable risks to humans and the environment caused by contaminated land issues using generic quantitative risk assessment (QGRA) and detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) approaches.
Contaminated Land Risk Management
Giving developers and landowners key insight, contaminated land risk management supports ongoing development, ensures compliance with regulators, and mitigates risks associated with land contaminants. The successful implementation of risk management could include communication with the local authorities, long-term monitoring plans, regular reviews of risks, and planning support.
Materials Management Plan (MMP)
Overseeing the responsible handling, tracking and reusing of excavated materials on-site, a materials management plan (MMP) is carried out in accordance with the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste: Code of Practice (DoWCoP). Often used for construction, excavation or remediation of contaminated ground, an MMP plays a part in avoiding waste declassification, reducing disposal costs and maintaining compliance.
Other Land Contamination Services
Although the variety of contaminated land survey services listed above includes the most common and appropriate types for planning in the UK, other types are available.
Examples of Related Assessments and Reports
- Agricultural Land Classification (ALC)
- Asbestos Risk Assessment
- Due Diligence Environmental Assessment
- Gas Risk Assessment
- Groundwater Contamination Assessment
- Natural Attenuation Assessment
- Soil Waste Classification
- Surface Water and Drainage
- UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) Risk Assessment
- Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Testing
If you need other services for your development, speak to our geo-environmental specialists, and we will point you in the right direction.
Elements of Our Services
Among our contaminated land team are specialists with extensive experience who are effective in undertaking scientific analysis and practical inspection, as well as any other exercises that contribute to successfully completing the contaminated land management and risk assessment process.
In any of the land contamination surveys we complete, certain skills and techniques are used to help clients make informed decisions, manage potential liabilities, and deliver planning projects that are compliant with relevant regulations from corresponding organisations and groups.
Below, we offer a breakdown of the vital components of our land contamination services:
Contaminated Land Analysis
Every planning project we provide an assessment for starts with extensive data analysis. We use it to interpret environmental records, geological data and general site history to understand the presence of hazardous materials already on the site, complex land use legacies, and known pollution incidents.
At this point, we will identify sources of contamination and work out how they could impact human health, water quality and the environment. In the case of brownfield land and historical land, past uses for heavy industry, fuel storage and waste disposal makes a research phase crucial.
Contaminated Land Investigation
To retrieve enough information from a development site, a combination of desk-based reviews and a ground investigation are needed. Across groundwater, soil and surface water, our team will work to summarise the presence, concentration and mobility of any and all contaminants.
We always speak to clients about what they want from their development and conduct a survey, tailoring our service to meet those specific needs. Our specialists will collaborate with their project team to make sure that the investigation supports their planning objectives while addressing environmental issues.
Contaminated Land Management
Between speaking with regulators and managing site risks across the development phases, land contamination issues need a high standard of geo-environmental management. By planning suitable strategies, we can ensure that the site is safe and suitable for the intended and proposed use.
Throughout the lifecycle of your planning project, we will be able to help with both planning and regulatory approvals by issuing appropriate remediation advice to avoid delays, reduce costs and protect against the threat of otherwise possible reputational damage.
Contaminated Land Testing
Only through advanced field and laboratory testing can we accurately uncover the extent and severity of contamination. The targeted sampling of soil, vapour and water helps to establish risk characterisation, informing risk management decisions and preventing any uncertainty or confusion.
During site acquisition, redevelopment or regulatory inspection exercises, our contaminated land testing offers more support to avoid potential liabilities and demonstrate due diligence, backing up any restrictions and requirements from the perspective of compliance and planning.
Contaminated Land Treatment
From the point of contamination being confirmed on a development site, a treatment plan will be established to deliver remediation strategies that match commercial, legal and technical requirements in a way that directly match the specifications and circumstances of the plot of land.
Sustainable development is key in seeing planning permission granted. It is common for brownfield sites to need extensive treatment as a method of removing harmful materials and substances, and with our knowledge of different potential integrated solutions, we can decide on the right treatment for your site.
Discuss Your Options with Our Team
Whenever contaminated land is a potential concern for a development site, contaminated land assessments will help remove any concerns over human health and the environment, strengthen applications for planning consent, give you an indication of the additional costs involved, and tick all boxes set by relevant legislation such as the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Our contaminated land survey services are cost-effective and cover every stage in the process, from preliminary risk assessments and the phase 1 desk study to the phase 2 site investigation and the creation of a remediation strategy. For a quote, contact us via our website or by emailing or calling our team, and from there, we can start supporting your development with the appropriate risk assessment.