Decision details

The purpose of this report is to present Executive Members with an updated Contaminated Land Strategy for approval.  Local authorities are required to review their inspection strategies on a periodic basis, the previous update was reported to the Executive on 9 November 2009.  The fifth revision of the Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy is attached at Appendix A.

Local Authorities are required to have a Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy that sets out its approach to dealing with contaminated land and for these strategies to be kept under periodic review.  This report provides an update on the work that has been undertaken since the previous update, with the latest version of the strategy attached at Appendix A for approval by the Executive.

Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990 came into force in April 2000. It places a mandatory duty on local authorities to inspect their areas to identify contaminated land that is causing unacceptable risks to health or the environment and secure the remediation of that land.

The Council has had a Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy in place since 2001 and this has been updated periodically as required. The Government has recently amended the Statutory Guidance that local authorities are obliged to follow whilst carrying out their duties.  As a result the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) requires all local authorities to revise their Contaminated Land strategies to take account of these changes.

The purpose of this report is to provide members with an update on the work that has been undertaken in dealing with contaminated land issues and present the revised strategy attached as Appendix A to this report for approval.

(a)     That the Executive notes the progress that has been made in respect of the identification and data capture of areas of potential contamination, the investigation and remediation of land through the planning regime and via voluntary means; and

(b)     That the fifth revision of the Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy, attached at Appendix A to the report is approved.