Contaminated land Leeds: rapid reports for planning submissions

Evaluating contaminated land issues in Leeds

Leeds, a city known for its rich industrial heritage and modern development, faces the challenge of managing land affected by contamination from its past industries. Leeds City Council has developed a robust policy on contamination, ensuring the safety of its residents while promoting sustainable growth.

In this article, we’ll explore the council’s approach to managing contaminated land, its historical context, and how the city works to balance urban regeneration with environmental protection.

Historical contamination

Leeds’s long history of industrial activity includes textile production, chemical works and coal mining. While these industries drove the city’s growth, they also left behind pockets of contamination, for instance, contaminated soils and groundwater can be found in areas such as Hunslet, Holbeck, and parts of the Aire Valley.

Contamination from heavy metals and hydrocarbons from former engineering works and foundries affects land at Hunslet, while residues from dyes and chemicals are found at Holbeck, and the Aire Valley requires monitoring to address risks from historic landfill sites.

What are the risks from disturbing contaminated land?

New development on contaminated sites opens the risk of creating new pathways for contamination to spread and affect human health, controlled watercourses and ecosystems. The risk from contamination depends on:

1. The source of contamination.
2. A pathway: a route for contamination to reach receptors, such as air inhalation.
3. A receptor: people or ecosystems exposed to the contamination.

The threat of contamination is minimal without all three of these elements being present.

The legal requirements for managing contaminated land

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part 2a) places a duty on local authorities in the UK to identify and manage land contamination. The environmental legislation stipulates that risks to health and the environment must be minimised.

Key principles include:

1. `Polluter Pays’: the party responsible for the contamination, such as former industrial operators, is held accountable for remediation wherever possible.
2. Landowner responsibility: if the polluter cannot be identified, the responsibility for clean-up may fall to the current landowner.
3. Planning and development: contaminated land must be assessed and remediated as part of the development process to ensure it is safe for its intended use.

Contaminated land is also referred to in the National Planning Policy Framework. Paragraph 197 states that responsibility for the safe development of contaminated land lies with the developer, landowner, or both. The National Planning Policy Framework stipulates that planning policies should support the use of suitable brownfield land (previously used land) for development.

Leeds City Council’s approach to contaminated land

The council’s contaminated land policy reflects its overall aim of creating a safe, sustainable, and thriving city by focusing on public health, environmental protection, and urban regeneration. Key elements of the policy include:

1. Identifying sites.
   The council uses a risk-based approach to identify contaminated sites across the city. Priority is given to locations that pose the greatest risk to human health or the environment. Areas with sensitive land uses, such as residential zones or schools, receive special attention.
2. Encouraging brownfield redevelopment.
   Leeds aims to reuse brownfield land to reduce the need to build on greenfield (undeveloped) sites, preserving natural landscapes while supporting urban growth.
3. Collaborating with developers and experts.
   The council works closely with developers, geo-environmental consultants, and other stakeholders to ensure that contaminated land is properly assessed for significant risk and remediated. Planning applications for affected sites often require detailed site investigation and remediation plans.
4. Public engagement and transparency.
   Leeds City Council engages with residents and businesses, providing clear information about contamination risks and ongoing remedial targets.

The contaminated land risk assessment

A contaminated land risk assessment must be carried out before planning permission will be granted for schemes on sites with potential pollution issues, in line with environmental legislation. If the assessment identifies contamination, it will propose remediation work to enable development to proceed. Contaminated land risk assessment services are generally carried out by geo-environmental consultants. The final report will enable the local planning authority to process the application.

Geo-environmental consultants investigate sites according to the Environment Agency’s Land contamination risk management (LCRM) – GOV.UK) guidelines:

Phase 1. Desk study: background information is gathered such as historical maps, environmental records, and evidence of previous site uses to establish potential contamination sources in preparation for the next phase.

Phase 2. Site investigation: the inspection assesses risks on the site as well as adjacent properties. On-site geotechnical and contamination testing is carried out, which involves collecting soil and groundwater samples that are analysed to check for contaminants. The site investigation may involve digging trial pits to monitor ground conditions. Consultants will use specialist software tools and may create an initial conceptual site model to help them assess the site.

3. Risk assessment.
Using the information gathered, the site’s risks to human health, ecosystems and water supplies can be evaluated. Consultants will also consider potential pathways for contamination to spread through.

4. Remediation.
A remediation strategy will lay out steps to make the site safe. Measures might include removing and cleaning contaminated soils off-site, capping the land with various materials or cleaning contaminated groundwater.

5. Validation.
Consultants will ensure that remediation work meets regulatory standards and will provide reports to satisfy local authority requirements.

Why reuse contaminated land?

Leeds City Council makes reusing contaminated land a key part of its sustainable development strategy. As well as complying with environmental legislation, the benefits include:

• Protecting greenfield sites: reusing brownfield land reduces pressure on green spaces, preserving habitats and farmland.
• Supporting urban growth: revitalising contaminated sites creates opportunities for housing, business, and public spaces in the city centre and surrounding areas.
• Environmental improvement: cleaning up land affected by historical contamination enhances local ecosystems and reduces pollution risks.

Looking ahead: a sustainable Leeds

Leeds City Council’s contaminated land policy is part of a vision for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable city. By addressing the challenges of contaminated land, the council is unlocking the potential of underused sites while safeguarding the environment and human health. With a focus on brownfield redevelopment and innovative solutions, Leeds is transforming its industrial past into opportunities for the future.