Contaminated land

Industry, waste disposal and accidental spillages of contaminants can cause contamination of land. If not dealt with, it can be a threat to human health, the environment and the development of the city.

As regulator, landowner and planning authority the council is responsible for ensuring that:

• Land in its area is suitable for its current use
• Land in its area is made suitable for any new use
• Land recognised as being 'contaminated' is made suitable for its current or proposed use
• It leads by example, when managing contamination on its own land

The council's regulatory services (scientific services) carries out the council's duties in respect to Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This includes an inspection programme to identify and remediate land which is causing an unacceptable risk to human health or the wider environment.

This programme has been detailed in Land Quality Strategy 2018-2023.

We also:

• Act as advisor to other council departments about land contamination
• Maintain records on land quality
• Assess site investigations provided with redevelopments proposals to ensure they comply with UK policy
• Oversee remediation schemes to ensure sites are suitable for use