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Contaminated Land refers to land that is unsuitable for its current use due to pollution of the soil or ground water.
Thanet District Council’s approach to contaminated land is set out in the Contaminated Land Strategy. This strategy forms the basis for the Council’s activities in relation to contaminated land.
Land that may be contaminated is currently being assessed to identify whether there is a risk of harm to human health or the wider environment. Where land is potentially contaminated, Thanet District Council is responsible for agreeing the most appropriate action and making sure it is taken.
The UK Government has set a target that 60% of all new residential properties should be constructed on brownfield land. Thanet District Council actively scrutinises and monitors all such development applications to ensure that the sites are developed appropriately and are suitable for their proposed use.
Whilst this Authority supports proposals for the redevelopment of brownfield sites, the potential for land to be contaminated is an essential consideration for the purposes of Planning and it places the responsibility on owners and developers to establish the extent of any potentially harmful materials on their sites. This guidance is set out in Planning Policy Statement 23
A Developer’s Guide has been prepared to explain this process in more detail. This includes information on who may be commissioned to conduct the required risk assessments, and a Certificate of Completion Template, to document all Contaminated Land reports submitted in support of Planning Applications.
Whilst the Environmental Health Department cannot recommend individual consultants, the following external links may be of use in finding an appropriately qualified specialist to undertake this work: http://www.contamlinks.co.uk/
Where a developer is proposing to develop land that is suspected of being contaminated, or the proposed development is particularly sensitive to potential contamination (such as a school/hospital or due to the site’s location within a Groundwater Source Protection Zone), developers are strongly encouraged to engage in pre-application consultations with the Council’s Contaminated Land Officer
It is useful to do this as the Council may have additional information that you are unaware of, and it will prevent delays on planning applications where desk top studies must accompany the initial application (1APP Forms).
Please note, information held by TDC is governed by the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 1998. The Town and Country Planning Act also requires that information submitted to the Council be placed on the Planning register. However, intellectual property rights and copyright laws will normally be respected. The Environmental Health Department may charge a research fee for more detailed environmental information.
Environmental Health
Email:
environmental.health@ thanet.gov.uk
Phone: 01843 577580
Contaminated Land Officer
Phone: 01843 577081
Fax: 01843 577340