Contaminated Land in Cornwall: Rapid Geo-Environmental Reports

Contaminated Land All Over Cornwall

Cornwall faces unique land contamination challenges. Cornwall Council has comprehensive policies in place to manage contaminated land, remove potentially hazardous materials and enable safe and appropriate urban growth.​

Historically, Cornwall has been home to industries such as mining, metal smelting, and chemical manufacturing. These activities have left potential sources of land contamination, including substances like heavy metals and chemical residues, potentially presenting risks to human health, the wider environment or future site users. The council estimates that approximately 6% of the land it owns and manages is deemed contaminated, primarily due to this industrial legacy.​

Impact of tourism on land contamination policy

Cornwall’s status as a major tourist destination in the south west adds complexity to land development. The influx of visitors increases demand for accommodation and infrastructure, often leading to the redevelopment of previously used sites. To ensure that such developments do not pose risks that may ​affect site users, it’s crucial for the council to make thorough contaminated land assessments. ​

Council policy and legal framework

Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils are mandated to identify and remediate contaminated land. Amongst standard national guidelines, Paragraph 197 of the National Planning Policy Framework places responsibility for the safe redevelopment of contaminated land on developers or landowners – sometimes both.

Cornwall’s Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy contains details of how site inspections, risk assessment and remediation should be carried out.

Brownfield redevelopment

The redevelopment of brownfield (previously developed land) is encouraged to reduce development on greenfield land and enable growth in accessible areas. Cornwall’s Local Plan emphasises the importance of using brownfield land for new housing and commercial projects.​

Cornwall Council: strategy and objectives

The council conducts regular inspections to identify potentially contaminated sites, prioritising those posing the highest risk to human health and the wider environment.​ A public Contaminated Land Register is maintained, documenting sites designated as contaminated under Part 2A. To ensure safe development, the council provides detailed technical guidance for developers planning to build on land that may be contaminated.

A step-by-step guide to developing on contaminated land

Prior to submitting planning applications, this is the recommended procedure:

• Pre-Application Consultation: Talk to the council’s planning department to describe land that you plan to develop and discuss potential contamination issues and the reports that will be needed.​ ​A contaminated land risk assessment is generally a requirement before a planning application will be considered.

• Preliminary Risk Assessment: The phase 1 preliminary risk investigation involves a desk study and site inspection to identify potential sources of contamination. The site walkover survey must be carried out by a geo-environmental consultant working to the Environment Agency’s Land Contamination Risk Management guidelines.

• Site Investigation: The preliminary risk assessment may reveal the need for further investigations such as soil and groundwater sampling which form phase 2 of the process.

• Remediation Strategy: This is a plan to remediate the land to deal with potentially hazardous materials and make it safe for future site users.

• Validation and Reporting: Following remediation work, evidence must be provided to the local planning authority to prove that the required safety and environmental standards have been achieved.​

What do geo-environmental consultants do?

In assessing and managing potentially contaminated land, geo-environmental consultants will:​

• Conduct contaminated land assessments: carry out a desk study, visual inspections, and risk assessments to identify contamination issues and sources.​

• Following the site walkover survey, consultants will draw up remediation plans and strategies to mitigate or remove contaminants effectively.​ They will recommend cost effective solutions to satisfy local authorities that any unacceptable risk has been dealt with.

• Liaise with local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that legal and environmental standards are complied with.​

• Monitor remediation work and provide validation reports to confirm that the site has been made safe for redevelopment. Being able to describe land as fully remediated will enable a planning application to proceed through local authorities’ planning processes.

Cornwall Council: future vision for the south west

Cornwall Council works with developers and consultants across the county to ensure that land contamination is managed correctly according to standard national guidelines. Transforming historically contaminated sites into valuable assets aligns with the council’s vision of urban regeneration alongside care for the environment.

For more information about how Arbtech’s experienced geo-environmental consultants can help you with contaminated land assessments, fill in our quick quote form at the top of this page.