Morning all
Our approach in Bury, for all sensitive end uses, is not merely to place
a condition requiring a desk study but to require a Preliminary Risk
Assessment, which should consider prevailing ground conditions. We all
know maps aren't necessarily the holy grail when it comes to site
history and even in areas where no previous use has been identified I'm
sure most of us are aware of sites which are impacted with potential
contamination, made ground etc. Also actual physical site data can have
more clout than desk based information (for example conveyancing
searches).
Within Bury there has been a lot of historical domestic ash and clinker
tipping on apparently greenfield site and garden areas not documented on
historical maps or even used to grade land prior to development. So
generally, in the event of just receiving a desk study (with no
assessment of ground conditions) we requrie a watching brief is kept for
made ground or visual or olfactory evidence of contamintion during
construction works and condition it accordingly as an unforseen
contamination planning condition. If such ground condtions are
encountered then further assessment is usually required.
We've loads of examples of ash/clinker or made ground turning up on
sites which were previously thought to be greenfield so even though our
approach may seem overcautious we feel we have sufficient justification
for it, although I suppose it this wouldn't stack up in more rurual LAs
than Bury.
Regards
Colin Crompton
Environmental Protection Officer
Bury MBC
Textile Hall
Manchester Road
Bury BL9 0DG
Tel: 0161 253 5581
Fax: 0161 253 5563
-----Original Message-----
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Guppy,
Steve
Sent: 19 October 2005 17:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: PPS23 and Residential Developments
A recent informal note from the ODPM regarding land contamination BVPI's
stated in paragraph 43 "A planning application for a sensitive receptor
requires a desk study, according to PPS23, even where the site has not
previously been developed".
I'm currently involved in a rather weighty debate as to how you reach
this conclusion from PPS23. I feel that the document is open to
interpretation and prone to contradiction but have tended to be
over-cautious, taking the opinion recently expressed by the ODPM.
However, my planning department, under pressure from a developer, is
suggesting that we must have some basis as to why we think the land or
the surrounding land may be contaminated before we require a desk study.
I'd be interested to know how other LAs are interpreting and then
applying PPS23. Do you think a sensitive proposal such as a residential
development should be accompanied with a desk study as a matter of
routine and if so do you apply that principle and how (i.e. do you
expect to see it with the application or do you require it by condition
to an approval)? I'd like to settle this for once and for all so it
would be nice to quote a recognised reference or other respected source
that gives a definitive answer. Any ides out there?
Regards
Stephen Guppy
Senior Scientific Officer
Southampton City Council
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