Contaminated Land in Lancashire: Expert Planning Support

Dealing with contaminated land in Lancashire

Over the years, Lancashire has experienced extensive coal mining, along with chemical production and textile manufacturing, all of which have left contamination behind. The county comprises a geological mixture including sandstone, shale, and limestone formations, which respond differently to contaminants in terms of how they spread.

To fully assess pollution levels, a professional risk assessment will be needed to work out the best strategy for dealing with contaminated sites and enabling land remediation.

Contaminated sites and land remediation in Lancashire

Contaminated land refers to areas where substances such as heavy metals, oils, tars, chemical solvents, gases, asbestos, or radioactive materials are present at levels that could pose risks to human health, controlled watercourses or the wider environment. In Lancashire, historical industrial activities have contributed to land contamination, including:

• Textile manufacturing: Lancashire’s industrial heritage includes numerous textile mills, which may have left behind contaminants from dyes, oils, and other chemicals used in the manufacturing process.
• Coal mining: Extensive coal mining operations have resulted in land subsidence and potential contamination from mining by-products.
• Chemical industries: Areas involved in chemical production or storage may have residual contamination affecting soil and groundwater. As an example, an investigation by the Environment Agency and Wyre Council confirmed the presence of airborne pollutants from AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd. in Thornton Cleveleys.
• Landfills and waste disposal: Sites historically used for waste disposal may contain various contaminants.

Contaminated land legislation UK

Part iia of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 states that local authorities must identify and remediate contaminated land to protect human health and the environment. Responsibility for contaminated land remediation rests on developers or landowners according to Paragraph 197 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Lancashire’s contaminated land strategy

The redevelopment of contaminated land (brownfield sites) is promoted to lessen the requirement for building on greenfield sites. This policy also ensures that development happens in urban areas where it is both accessible and needed. Tools like the Brownfield Land Register Toolkit help communities identify and promote the redevelopment of such sites.

Who is responsible for dealing with contaminated land?

Responsibility for identifying, assessing and managing contaminated land primarily lies with the district and borough councils within Lancashire. (Lancashire County Council serves as the minerals and waste planning authority for the county).

Each district and borough council has developed its own contaminated land strategy, for example, Lancaster City Council has a statutory duty to prepare and periodically review an inspection strategy for contaminated land. The local authorities collaborate to ensure that contaminated land remediation is appropriately managed across the county.

Steps for developing contaminated land in Lancashire:

For detailed guidance on these stages, consult the contaminated land strategy of the relevant district or borough council.

• Pre-application consultation: This is an opportunity to discuss potential contamination issues on your site early in the process with the local planning authority department.​ The reports that will be needed can be clarified: usually, a contaminated land risk assessment will be necessary before a planning application is submitted.
• Preliminary Risk Assessment: This stage involves a desk study to investigate a site’s historic uses and a site walkover. A geo-environmental consultant will look for signs of potential contamination and pathways for it to spread. The process must be conducted according to the Environment Agency’s Land Contamination Risk Management guidelines.
• Site investigation: Depending on the results of the Preliminary Risk Assessment, further investigations can be required. Consultants may need to take samples of soil and groundwater, or test for ground gas. While non-intrusive techniques may be used, sometimes trial pits will be dug as part of the site investigation.
• Land remediation strategy: With all the required environmental information, a consultant will be fully informed to assess any risks that the site poses to human health or the wider environment. A plan can then be drawn up, including information on how to deal with any unacceptable risk and remediate the ground in the most cost-effective way.
• Validation and reporting: When land remediation work is complete, evidence must be submitted to the local authority to prove that the required environmental standards have been met. The report can then be used alongside a planning application.

Take the correct steps to achieve planning consent for contaminated sites

Safe and sustainable development results from Lancashire’s proactive approach to managing contaminated land. Developers have a detailed series of steps to follow to ensure that their projects are viewed positively by the local authority. Consultants have a key role to play in recommending the appropriate actions.

By adhering to legislation in Part iia of the Environmental Protection Act, carrying out a site investigation in line with Environment Agency guidelines and complying with recommendations made by geo-environmental consultants, developers can viably develop contaminated land.

Arbtech’s experienced geo-environmental consultants can help you to assess land with contamination issues. For further information, fill in our quick quote form at the top of this page.