Contaminated land

This page provides information on the work we carry out around contaminated land.

Contaminated land inspections

Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 we have a duty to inspect land across the county to make sure it is fit for its current use. Our role is:

to develop a Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy (PDF, 3 MB)
to ensure areas are inspected from time to time to identify any land which may pose a risk to human health or other sensitive receptors
to establish responsibilities to make sure land is fit for its purpose
to consult the Environment Agency on pollution of Controlled Waters

Further details regarding the inspection process and current and completed inspections is available on the Land quality inspections page.

Contaminated land register

We are required to maintain a public register of land determined as contaminated land. Bessemer Park, Spennymoor is the only site currently on Contaminated Land Register (PDF, 6 MB). Contact Land Quality Inspection Programme for more information.

Environmental search requests

We hold environmental information which is available on request. We are also able to provide up-to-date and local information on:

whether a property or site has been determined as contaminated land
whether the property or site is subject to inspection under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and if so, what priority has been given to the property or site to be inspected

Please note that there is a £105 due to the time and resources a request needs. If you want to make a request, find out more by reading our Environmental Search Request Guidance (PDF, 230 KB).

Planning applications and advice

We are consulted on certain pre-planning enquiries and planning applications to ensure a site is suitable for its proposed use and ensure the relevant work is completed. Planning applications must be supported by an appropriate contamination assessment if:

there is evidence that your site may be affected by contamination
the proposed use is vulnerable to the presence of contamination

We have adopted The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Pollution Advisory Group (YALPAG) guidance documents for individuals and developers as we recognise that contaminated land assessment is a complex process.

Additional YALPAG guidance should be referred to if clean subsoil and topsoil is required to form a cover system or if gas protection measures are required.