Contaminated Land in Edinburgh: Assess Potential Risk

Developing contaminated land in Edinburgh: get a rapid report

The City of Edinburgh Council is the planning authority for the city and therefore manages the contaminated land regime. Any proposed development on contaminated sites must demonstrate that the land is safe for human health and the environment.

History of contaminated land in Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s geology includes areas of made ground, alluvium, and glacial deposits that can influence how contaminants move and remain in the environment. Substances like heavy metals, oils, tars, chemical solvents, gases, asbestos, or radioactive contamination can cause land contamination.

Contaminants are especially concerning if they are present at levels potentially creating risks to people’s health, ecosystems or property. In Edinburgh, past industrial activity has contributed to land contamination: factors include:

• Significant pollution may arise from residual contamination left by past activities on former industrial sites.
• Various contaminants may remain in the soil as a result of inadequate waste disposal facilities on landfill and waste sites.
• Chemical and petrochemical industries may have left contamination or opportunities for pollutant linkage in the soil and water environment.
• Intensive agricultural activities could have resulted in pesticide and fertiliser residues in the soil. Agricultural waste also poses a risk of significant pollution.

Edinburgh’s policy and legal implications

Scottish ministers are bound by the detailed framework in part iia of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The part iia regime makes it a statutory duty for local authorities to identify and remediate contaminated land to protect people’s health and the environment. Other legislation relating to polluted sites includes Paragraph 197 of the National Planning Policy Framework which places certain responsibilities for the safe redevelopment of contaminated sites on developers or landowners.

According to statutory guidance, councils should maintain public registers containing details about contaminated sites and derelict land. It is a material planning consideration that applicants with potentially contaminated sites must prove that the possibility of potential harm being caused to human health or the environment is correctly removed. To comply with its regulatory responsibility, the council will ensure that development plans adhere to these core principles.

Promoting brownfield redevelopment

The development of brownfield (previously developed) land is encouraged: the council’s City Plan 2030 emphasises the importance of reusing previously developed land to meet housing and economic development needs while protecting the city’s green spaces. The strategy aims to protect human health, the water environment and ecosystems, and avoid damage to property and any further land contamination.

Steps for developing contaminated land in Edinburgh

The council’s guidance documents provide detailed information and should be consulted early in the development process. If you’re considering developing a potentially contaminated land site in Edinburgh, follow these steps:

• Pre-Application Consultation: Discuss your proposed development site with the local planning authority at an early stage to discuss potential contamination issues, the required assessments and any other issues that are relevant. A contaminated land risk assessment is generally needed.
• Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment: This involves a desk study and site walkover to inspect the current state of the site, identify potential contamination sources and pollution linkage pathways for it to spread. Geo-environmental consultants play a key role in carrying out this assessment, working to the Environment Agency’s Land Contamination Risk Management guidelines.
• Site Investigation: If indicated by the above assessment and desk study, detailed investigations must be carried out, looking at the current use approach, and taking samples of soil and groundwater to assess contamination levels and their environmental impacts. Other reports may be required such as an environmental impact assessment or a derelict land survey to asses any significant possibility of contamination.
• Remedial Work: A comprehensive plan must be developed to remediate identified contaminants to leave the site safe for its intended use. Sometimes the only option for remediation work will be to remove contaminated soil, clean it offsite and return it.
• Validation and Reporting: After remedial works, local authorities must be provided with evidence to demonstrate that the site meets all safety and environmental protection standards. ​ A planning application may then proceed through the planning system.

Obtain a contaminated land assessment

The City of Edinburgh Council promotes the safe transformation of contaminated land into areas suitable for new development to achieve urban regeneration while protecting the environment. However, as the enforcing authority, it places a priority on sustainable development and will stringently regulate activities surrounding contaminated land sites. It is a material planning condition that such sites must prove that any risk of significant harm has been correctly remediated before a planning application can enter the planning process.

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.