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Contaminated Land/Environmental Searches

Environmental and Consumer Protection Services (ECPS) provide a contaminated land search facility, producing environmental search reports for the public, developers and for environmental contractors/consultants.

Why have a search undertaken?

As part of the house buying process an environmental search is often undertaken by a private search company who offer a professional opinion and a 'certificate'. Such certificates are not a legal requirement and are intended to help you interpret the findings of your commercial environmental search.

If you aren't issued with a certificate, or the professional opinion requires further action, it does not mean that the land is contaminated just that more detailed information may be needed. A contaminated land search undertaken by your Local Authority can provide you with the further information you need.

Developers and Consultants may require detailed information in order to help characterise sites and inform decisions prior to the redevelopment of sites.

Information Provided within a Contaminated Land Search

A search undertaken by ECPS will be based on the radius requested and will include all of the information below:

• Site history based on Historical Ordnance Survey Mapping noting the presence of any potentially contaminating former land uses (e.g. landfills and industrial processes)
• Permitted Processed under the PPC Regulations 2000
• A search of Environmental & Consumer Protection records to include:
  • Any known records of gas emissions and contamination issues in the immediate area
  • Any known remediation or remediation notices
  • Information from Site Investigations and Remediation reports held.
  • Details of the site in regards to our Inspection Strategy under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
  NB. Should you require any further or more detailed information an additional cost may be incurred, an option to request such information is provided within the on-line application form

Applying for a contaminated land search

We charge for our searches to cover the cost of officer time spent searching records and preparing the response and we aim to respond to your enquiry within 5 working days from receipt of payment.

As from 1st April 2008 the cost of a report will depend on the scope required:

 Scope of Search                         Cost

Small Premises plus 250m radius * £75

Small Premises plus 500m radius * £120

Large Premises plus 250m radius ** £120

Large Premises plus 500m radius ** £150

* A Small Site is defined as a property of less than 1 hectare in site (10,000m2), this will include most residential properties

** A Large Site is defined as a property of more that 1 hectare in size and refers mainly to commercial and industrial premises

The standard requirement in the majority of cases is for a 250m radius search for a small site.

If you would like to request a search either

• call Customer Services on 01202 261700 to pay via debit/credit card; or
• download a request form and send with a cheque for the correct amount made payable to Borough of Poole to Environmental & Consumer Protection Services.