Contaminated Land

Land that is contaminated contains substances in, on, or under it that pose an actual or potential hazard to health or the environment.

Britain has a long history of industrial production and throughout the UK there are numerous sites where land has become contaminated by human activities such as mining, industrial processes, chemical and oil spills and waste disposal. Contamination can also occur naturally as the result of the geology of the area, or through agricultural use.

What are the Risks of Land Contamination?

The presence of contaminates in the ground does not necessarily mean that there is a problem. In many cases there will be minimal risk from living or working on contaminated ground. Indeed many contaminated sites have been successfully and safely redeveloped to provide high quality housing, leisure, and working environments.

What are the Council's Duties?

The Council is required to produce an inspection strategy which outlines how it will gather information of sites across the district and prioritise their inspection. More information on the inspection strategy on the contaminated land Strategy page.

The council has also produced a Guide for developers of potentially contaminated sites (PDF Document, 0.32 Mb)