Guildford - Contaminated Land

Legislation under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It requires all local authorities to identify any contaminated land within their authority. Guildford Borough Council has produced a Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy to achieve this.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

The land use in Guildford is predominately residential, outside the urban area most of the district is designated as Green Belt. The southern part of the Borough lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with further areas designated as Area of Great Landscape Value.

The Borough also contains sites of:

16 Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s)
10 Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS)
140 Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI)

37 Scheduled Monuments & County Sites of Archaeological Importance
1,200 Listed Buildings
20 Locally Listed Buildings

The industry within the borough is classified as light and is restricted to industrial estates such as Slyfield, Lysons Avenue and Middleton Road. Historically the Borough had active Iron, Brewery and Mineral Extraction industries.

WHAT IS CONTAMINATED LAND.?

Contaminated Land is?
‘any land which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated to be in such condition, by reason of substances in, on or under the land, that:

     a) significant harm is being caused or there is a significant possibility of
        such harm being caused;or
     b) pollution of controlled waters is being, or is likely to be caused.’

Section 78A(2) – Environmental Protection Act 1990

Hence the definition of contaminated land does not include all land that is contaminated, if the contamination does not include risk to human health or specific receptors i.e. controlled waters.

Digger burying illegal waste

The aims and objectives of the Contaminated Land Strategyfor the period 2001 – 2006 are:

Aims:

To identify unacceptable risks to human health.
To identify unacceptable risks to controlled waters and ecosystems.
To protect designated ecosystems.
To prevent damage to property.
To encourage redevelopment of brownfield sites and
voluntary remediation.
To prevent any further contamination of land.

Pathway.

There are three main ways contamination can affect receptors:

Ingestion of soil by way of contaminated local produce or directly
Inhalation of dusts and vapour affecting people, animals and plants and sometimes buildings.
Direct soil contact affects people, animals, plants and buildings.

Receptors.

The number of receptors in the area will determine the order in which the sites are inspected. The order of priority for receptors is as follows from most to least sensitive:

Humans
Controlled waters – Including surface waters, underground aquifers and drinking water abstractions
Vulnerable Ecosystems
Organisms – including pets, livestock and games including fish
Other vegetation – agricultural crops
Property (buildings and monuments)

Contaminated land will only be classed as such if a pollution linkage can be identified i.e:

Source - Pathway - Receptor

To see the Contaminated Land Strategy please click on the highlighted text below:-

Contaminated Land Strategy

How to request an Environmental Search

To request specific environmental health information requests must be made:

In writing
Be accompanied by a local map marking the boundary of the land
Be reasonable and specific in the questions asked.
Be accompanied by appropriate payment

CONTACT US.

Environmental Health Division
Housing & Health Services
Guildford Borough Council
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4BB

Telephone:
01483 444371
01483 444374
01483 444378

Fax: 01483 444546

Email: [email protected]

Building Control

Planning

USEFUL LINKS.

DEFRA Helpline
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Tel 08459 33 55 77
Fax 020 7238 3329
[email protected]
www.defra.gov.uk

Government Office for the South
1 Bridge House
Walnut Tree Close
Guildford
GU1 4GA
Tel 01483 882255
Fax 01483 882259
www.go-se.gov.uk

Environment Agency
Frimley Office
Swift House
Frimley Business Park
Camberley
Surrey
GU16 7SQ
www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Surrey County Council
Petroleum Officer
SCC Trading Standards
Bay Tree Avenue
Kingston Road
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 7SY
Tel: 01372 371799
www.surreycc.gov.uk

SCC Waste and Mineral Department
www.surreycc.gov.uk
Tel 0208 7861090

English Nature
Tel: 01476 568431
www.english-nature.org.uk

English Heritage
Tel: 01604 735450
www.english-heritage.org.uk

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