We hold information on land that could be contaminated from previous or current use, and report on sites that have been treated throughout the borough.

This information is available for inspection by the public.

Request a search

We can carry out a contaminated land search on request from a member of the public or their representative.

The cost is £125 including VAT.

To find out how you can apply, contact Environmental Protection.

The search contains the following information:

• historic land use
• current or previous planning activities (known to the Environmental Health Department at the time of request)
• any data about groundwater, waste and landfill sites and pollution incidents known to the team
• potential contaminative land use of the surrounding area within a 250m radius
• any other available information that could inform the search.

The amount of information contained varies depending on the site and the information available to us.

We can't state in the search that the site will not be designated as contaminated in the future. This is because we're awaiting site prioritisation under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

New building developments

Environmental Protection advises the Regeneration and Building Control teams on land contamination issues affecting new developments.

Developers must carry out extensive assessments on ground gases and soil investigations:

• before planning permission is approved or
• under the conditions attached to the planning consent.

Radon

The Health Protection Agency reported there's a one to three per cent chance of properties in the Royal Borough being in a radon affected area.

To find out about risk in your area, you can buy a postcode-specific risk report from the UK radon website.

Find out more about radon (UK radon website)

The Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA ) and The Environmental Information Regulations (EIR)

From time to time we receive contaminated land search requests as FOI or EOI requests.

Regulation 8(8) of EIR requires all public authorities to publish and make available to applicants a schedule of charges and information on the circumstances in which a charge may be made or waived.

Article 5(2) of the Directive provides:

Public authorities may make a charge for supplying any environmental information but such charge shall not exceed a reasonable amount but that:

(8) a public authority shall publish and make available to applicants

(a) a schedule of its charges; and

(b) information on the circumstances in which a charge may be made or waived.

As we publish the charges, these requests will be a chargeable service and you are again directed to the details below to raise a request and make payment.