News & Articles

On 12 March 2020 the Government published a policy document entitled ‘Planning for the Future‘ which sets out its plans for the delivery of housing and further reforms to the planning system.

Within the document the government undertakes to launch a national brownfield sites map in April 2020. It will also conduct a call for proposals to seek evidence on the barriers to, and opportunities in, building above stations in urban areas. We are not entirely sure why the government appear to see these two items as inextricably linked.

The document goes on to say “It is vital that we make the most of existing transport hubs, encouraging modern, green communities where people live close to public transport.”

We await the publication of the map with bated breath.

The National Housing Federation has placed the Brownfield Register sites on an interactive online map making them easy to locate. The map gives an estimate of the number of homes that can be built on each site, proximity to the green belt, site ownership and planning status.

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The title of a very informative article in the September/October AGS Magazine. If you want to take advantage of the opportunities or avoid the risks of contaminated land then this article is worth a read.

It helps to underline the fact that for a successful project contaminated land has to be addressed as an integrated part of the project and not an after thought. The latter approach often leads to delays and additional costs.

For more detailed advice we would also recommend the CIRIA guidance for small brownfield sites and contaminated land, A guide to small brownfield sites and land contamination (C773) which provides clarity and greater confidence to those looking to develop small brownfield and potentially contaminated land sites. The guide is available to NHBC members via their website.

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Car Parts found in the garden topsoil of a recently occupied development

Could biopolymers provide a more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional additives, such as cement, which have significant negative impacts on the environment. Significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) gases are emitted during the production of cement, which is also a process with a high energy demand. Biopolymers on the other hand are stable, carbon neutral and renewable.

Issue 527 of the EU, Science for Environment Policy paper states: “Soil stabilisation and the process of strengthening the physical properties of soil is fundamental to the construction process of infrastructure such as roads, runways and earth dams. Many chemical additives currently used in soil stabilisation are associated with adverse environmental effects and this study examines the use of biopolymers, such as xanthan gum and guar gum, as more sustainable alternatives. The researchers have run a series of laboratory experiments to evaluate the viability of these two types of biopolymers for use as additives for collapsible soil stabilisation, and found that both could be used in place of conventional additives to improve soil strength, permeability and collapse potential.”

This is something we will be following with interest.

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Public Health England have produced guidance on managing risk on potentially contaminated residential land. This document is intended for local authorities to be used for the management of contaminated land issues, however it includes common sense advice of use to a home owner or allotment user who may have concerns about the possibility of above normal levels of contaminants in soil.

It gives public health advice on how to reduce exposure to chemical based soil contaminants.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says building on the green belt would only provide low-density housing that would not be classed as affordable.

Working with local bodies the CPRE says it has identified the potential for 37,000 homes on previously developed land thus removing the need to build on the green belt.

Enfield Council has proposed building on small segments of the green belt – which covers around a third of the borough – in a bid to more than triple the rate of housebuilding.

Alice Roberts of CPRE London said “The type of low-density housing which is typical of green belt developments will contribute little towards the borough’s housing target.” … “Building on Enfield’s green belt would mean giving up large swathes of valuable green land for very few new homes – and those will predominantly be expensive homes.”

The CPRE says the council should focus on building “high-quality, high-density” developments in areas like Southbury as a means of addressing the housing shortage.

More information can be found in the Enfield Independent

Do you need to undertake vapour or land gas monitoring in a confined space or need to keep disruption to a minimum then we may have the answer. We are now able to undertake land gas and vapour monitoring using Vapor PinsTM.

The system is relatively quick and easy to install and is a very cost effective method of vapour and land gas monitoring. In difficult to access basements it may be the only practicable option, it could literally be installed in a broom cupboard.

The system is installed in a 16mm diameter hole drilled through a ground or basement level slab and can be recessed to be flush with the floor with a protective cover so that the area can continue to be used. Installation of three monitoring points can usually be completed in a matter of hours.

Watch our installation video.

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Rootwave have devised a very different way of tacking invasive weeds.

While clearly not the answer in every case it will no doubt have its uses. If this is something from which you are suffering then perhaps this product which uses electricity to “boil weeds inside out from the root upwards” may be the answer.

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Japanese Knotweed infestation near the River Cray in Bexley

In Australia a joint parliamentary committee has been investigating contamination from toxic firefighting chemicals which leached off defence bases and into soil and waterways. A Guardian article states that they have produced a report recommending the government “assist property owners and businesses in affected areas for demonstrated, quantifiable financial losses associated with PFAS contamination that has emanated from defence bases”.

states that they have produced a report recommending the government “assist property owners and businesses in affected areas for demonstrated, quantifiable financial losses associated with PFAS contamination that has emanated from defence bases”.

Is this something we should addressing in the UK?

The Environment Agency (EA) has withdrawn the Soil Guideline Value (SGV) for mercury and the associated supporting reports.  This follows discussions with Public Health England (PHE) about a revised opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA recommended an oral TDI for both these forms of mercury that are lower than the oral HCV used in the derivation of the SGV.

The EA advised “We are withdrawing our reports in light of this expert opinion.  We will not be updating them as the Environment Agency no longer undertakes work to derive new SGV or TOX reports, but we will continue to recommend that relevant public health bodies are consulted where industry has published or is developing alternative guideline criteria for mercury which would also include elemental mercury.”

The SGV Report, the TOX Report, and the Supporting Information Document for Mercury will remain available for historical reference on the Government and Environment Agency archives and on the CL:AIRE WALL

In 2012, EFSA published their scientific opinion on the public health risk from the presence of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in food.  The full report is available here: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2985.