Assessments and Reports for redevelopment of sites potentially affected by contamination
Planning applications accompanied by adequate supporting information in relation to contaminated or potentially contaminated land are more likely to be processed more quickly
The Practice Guide: Redeveloping Land Affected by Contamination describes in a series of checklists some important elements of each of the following reports but these are not exhaustive.
• Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) – This is the first tier of risk assessment that develops the initial conceptual model of the site and establishes whether or not there are any potentially unacceptable risks. Planning applications for the redevelopment of sites potentially affected by contamination need to be, as a minimum, accompanied by a PRA.
• Generic Quantitative Risk Assessment (GQRA) – carried out using generic assumptions to estimate risk or to develop generic assessment criteria
• Detailed Quantitative Risk Assessment (DQRA) – carried out using detailed site-specific information to estimate risk or to develop site-specific assessment criteria
If you establish that the risks are acceptable then you can exit from the process. You may need to revise assumptions within the site conceptual model developed in the Preliminary Risk Assessment as you get more information about the site. If unacceptable risks are identified when you have completed the Preliminary Risk Assessment, you must progress to a suitable quantitative risk assessment.
• Remediation Strategy - a plan that involves one or more remediation options to reduce or control the risks from all the relevant pollutant linkages associated with the site
• Remediation Implementation Plan - sets out all aspects of design, preparation, implementation, verification, long-term maintenance and monitoring of the remediation.
• Remediation Verification Plan - sets out the requirements for gathering data to demonstrate that remediation meets the remediation objectives and criteria
• Remediation Verification Report - provides a complete record of all remediation activities on site and the data collected as identified in the verification plan to support compliance with agreed remediation objectives and criteria
Other Documents that may be requested:
• Piling Risk Assessments - if piling and penetrative ground improvement methods are to be adopted by a developer, this should be declared at the application stage and that a Piling Risk Assessment submitted.
• Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) - describes, in detail, the amount and type of waste from a construction project and how it will be reused, recycled or disposed of.
A development project is more likely to be successful, and considerable effort and expense spared, if appropriately qualified experts with relevant environmental experience are engaged and used at an early stage and at suitable times thereafter as the development progresses to completion.
DAERA is unable to recommend specific consultants and/or organisations to carry out work for developers. Environmental Data Services (ENDS) provides a comprehensive listing of local and United Kingdom based environmental consultants which are available to view and search on through the ENDS website at https://www.endsdirectory.com/.