How to Get Planning for a Complex, Historic Site
When managing complex contaminated land, with decades or even centuries of history, securing planning approval is rarely straightforward. Whether you’re assessing a former gasworks or a Victorian-era tannery for luxury residential use, the planning department will likely view the proposal through a lens of significant risk. This guide offers step-by-step advice on how to work through the challenges of complex contaminated land to improve your chances of getting planning authorities on your side.
What are the complications of getting planning for a historic site?
The primary obstacle for getting planning for a historic site involves the high level of uncertainty. On a complex site, you’re addressing and untangling overlapping generations of industrial activity, perhaps spanning hundreds of years. A site may have served as a chemical works at one time and a fuel depot at another point. This results in a mix of pollutants that makes standard soil sampling work feel insufficient.
Planning authorities are inherently risk-averse. Their focus remains on the health of future occupants and the environmental liabilities associated with the soil. For sites with a 200-year footprint, authorities expect a depth of evidence that far exceeds a basic desktop study. They require detailed data on ground conditions and a plan to ensure contaminants are managed or removed without impacting the local area.
How to overcome the challenges of complex sites
Engaging early with the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and environmental health officers provides a distinct advantage. By demonstrating a proactive approach to the site’s complexities from the outset, you establish professional trust that can simplify the resolution of future queries.
However, there are ways to skip this step by reaching out to a phase 1 report specialist that has regular contact with local planning officers.
Attempting to overlook aspects of a site’s history is counterproductive, as planners often maintain comprehensive records. You’ll need to demonstrate understanding of the available technical data. This process begins with the delivery of a phase 1 contaminated land report.
What are the steps you need to take to have a better chance of securing planning permission?
Securing approval requires a methodical strategy and plenty of evidence.
Step 1: Commission a Phase 1 Assessment early
It’s important to understand the site constraints before finalising the layout. A comprehensive phase 1 contaminated land report identifies potential red flags that could otherwise derail a project during the later stages of the planning process.
Step 2: Develop a Conceptual Site Model (CSM)
The CSM maps how contaminants might migrate from the soil to receptors, such as future residents. If the model demonstrates that there’s no viable pathway for exposure, the likelihood of securing approval increases significantly.
Step 3: Implement targeted site investigations
On complex land, generic sampling isn’t efficient. You require targeted boreholes and trial pits focused on the hotspots identified during your initial Phase 1 research.
Step 4: Proactive mitigation planning
Rather than waiting for a request from the planners, it’s advisable to have a remediation strategy ready. This should outline how you intend to manage risks through measures such as gas membranes, soil capping or off-site disposal.
Step 5: Expert technical representation
Having a specialist who can engage directly with the council’s environmental officers is a significant asset. Professional environmental risk consultants at Ashfield Solutions can turn around a potential refusal into a discussion regarding manageable planning conditions.
What conditions and information are planners looking for?
Planners will often apply pre-commencement conditions to any granted permission. They seek certainty that the developer has a clear, staged methodology for managing environmental risk. This documentation includes everything from initial contaminated land assessments to the final verification report, which confirms the site is safe for its intended occupancy.
How Ashfield can help
We have extensive experience working with diverse sites, from heavy industrial remains to sensitive urban infills. Ashfield Solutions serves as a supportive partner, delivering the timely and thorough technical reporting required to maintain project momentum.
Whether performing a detailed Phase 1 Environmental Risk Assessment or managing the intricacies of complex contaminated land, our focus is on providing a clear list of actionable steps alongside the raw data. We assist you in demonstrating to planning authorities that even challenging historic sites are suitable for redevelopment.
Contact Ashfield to find out more about our Phase 1 Environmental Risk Assessment services.
