Contaminated land

Contaminated land is land that has within it, on or under its surface substances that may pose a risk of significant harm to human health or to the wider environment, including water resources, the local ecosystem and built structures.

Contamination in land largely arises as a result of industrial activities or past waste disposal practices.

There has been a wide variety of potentially polluting industrial processes active in the borough, ranging from gas works, large-scale oil storage depots and metal foundries to mills, engineering works and petrol stations.

What can we do?

We follow two regimes to deal with the legacy of contaminated land within the borough.

The first is the planning and development control process. This applies when a site has a redevelopment proposal that requires planning approval. When there is a potential for contamination to be affecting a site then a condition can be placed on a planning approval requiring a site investigation and the implementation of a satisfactory scheme of remedial works.

The second regime implements the Government's contaminated land strategy for England.

We hold a public register detailing sites and actions taken. The register is free to view but currently has no entries in it.

Under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 you can make an environmental enquiry relating to land quality on sites within the borough.