Home owners, house buyers and sellers

This guide aims to explain briefly what contaminated land is and why it is important to be aware of it. The guide is primarily aimed at home owners, house buyers and sellers, plus solicitors undertaking conveyance work on their behalf.

Like many other areas of the UK, Plymouth has a long history of industrial activity, at this time industries were less controlled by local and national laws, therefore, increasing the possibility for land contamination. The type/s of contamination that may exist depend mainly on previous use of the land and its surroundings. Even land used for farming or agriculture may have some potential for contamination for example fuels or waste disposal. Other examples of possible naturally occurring contaminants include Radon and Arsenic from the rocks under the ground.

Why does land contamination matter?

Environmental searches are becoming increasingly requested in the UK, most searches are performed by solicitors who request information from a variety of sources including the Environment Agency, Local Authorities and/or private companies who keep large databases of environmental information.

If a search company is unable to issue a certificate then affected parties are usually advised to make further enquiries - often with Local Authorities or the Environment Agency. These agencies will check their records to see whether or not a site has been dealt with either during development or by enforcement powers under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, see our contaminated land and Part IIA pages for further information.

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