Regulatory Services
Environmental Health
POLLUTION CONTROL - CONTAMINATED LAND
Throughout the UK there are thousands of sites which
have been contaminated by previous industrial use, often associated
with traditional processes which are now obsolete and which may now
present a hazard to the general environment.
There is now a growing requirement for such land to
be reclaimed and redeveloped, either for new industrial use, or for
the building of new housing on "brownfield" sites to relieve
the pressure on "greenfield" sites and preserve the countryside.
The first priority in dealing with contaminated land
is to prevent the creation of new contamination and to this end there
is legislation in place aimed at the prevention of such pollution,
the most significant being:
- Integrated Pollution Control (IPC)
- Pollution Prevention & Control (PPC)
- Waste Management Licensing
Whilst the prevention of new contamination is of critical
importance the "historic" pollution of land is the main
focus of the new Contaminated Land Regime which came into force on
the 14th of July 2000.
The new regime is set out in Part IIA of the Environmental
Protection Act 1990 as inserted by section 57 of the Environment Act
1995.
The regulatory role under Part IIA rests with Scottish
local authorities.
In outline, the role of each authority under Part IIA
is:
- To cause their areas to be inspected to identify contaminated land.
- To determine whether any particular site is contaminated land.
- To act as enforcing authority for all contaminated land not designated
as a "special site" (SEPA will be the enforcing authority
for special sites).
The main objective of the regime is to provide an improved
system for the identification and remediation of contaminated land
where the contamination is causing unacceptable risk to human health
or the wider environment.
East Ayrshire Council has now developed its inspection
strategy for the identification and remediation of contaminated land
in order that our obligations under the new Legislation can be met.
 Contaminated
Land Strategy
Planning
Guidance Leaflet
Contact the Environmental Health Contaminated
Land Specialist
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