The timing of this news with Boris Johnsons housing zones around London and the South East is also concerning. While not deregulating the council and EA role on ensuring appropriate brownfield assessment and clean up it will likely severely limit their roles. Prior to leaving the EA we were being told to bring forward issues with likely proposed sites (i know of at least one which is a National Grid site) connected to Boris's building bonanza. This approach is very concerning, inferring that if the EA and/or council cannot provide evidence of land/water contamination then its a green light to develop. I thought this was the purpose of a phase 1 desktop study, followed up by site investigation obtained by planning condition?
I sense a few more CL:AIRE COPS on the horizon! My experience from being at the EA until recently is that they are rarely audited but when done so errors including failure to submit verification reports is not uncommon. A sufficiently funded regulator with resource to effectively audit such schemes is essential. The will to punish non-conformance is also needed (a strongly worded letter requesting that they do not misbehave again was my experience). The industry impression of the CL:AIRE COP being a great success is not one shared by many colleagues I spoke to during my time at the EA.
Chris Ford
________________________________
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Russell Corbyn [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 12 November 2014 11:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: national grid
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/11215277/National-Grid-unleashes-swathes-of-brownfield-land-for-housebuilding.html?fb
An ideal time for deregulation and ambiguity. :/
Russell Corbyn CEnv MRSC FGS MIEnvSc
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