Contaminated Land Consultants

As leading contaminated land consultants we provide professional services and assistance in the risk assessment, investigation and management of land and waters potentially affected by contamination.

Our goal is always to assist clients in managing their sites to successful resolution resolution via the most efficient means available.

Land contamination can pose risks to human health and the environment, including vital drinking water resources. Legislation enacted to ensure significant risks are addressed, can result in substantial commercial liabilities for the holders of affected land.

Blight associated with the perception of contaminated land and cost of remediation can also pose a significant barrier to investment, development and regeneration.

Adeptus provides consultancy services to a broad range of clients including landowners, purchasers, developers and their advisers, across industry, commerce, education and local government. Our projects have ranged from small development sites, to large brownfield sites, operational industrial facilities and military installations. 

We are happy to advise on contamination related issues at any stage of a project, and we can develop and implement risk assessment, investigation, remediation and validation solutions regardless of project size or type. Whilst the majority of our work has been related to soil and groundwater contamination in the UK, we have also acted for clients in the US and worked as far afield as Australia.

Planning, Development and Contaminated Land

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that potentially contaminated sites proposed for development are properly assessed to ensure they are suitable for the intended use. Planning applications for such sites will typically require at least preliminary investigation, and any further requirements such as assessment or mitigation may be attached as pre-commencement planning conditions.

Indeed, the majority of our recent workload is in providing contaminated land consultancy to promoters and developers of brownfield land, and assisting them to discharge such planning conditions by the most cost effective, efficient means available.

Contaminated Land Consultancy Services

As an experienced contaminated land consultant, our team brings the multidisciplinary knowledge and skills required to develop integrated solutions to the range of issues that may present with contaminated sites.

We can also tell you with confidence if the likelihood of ground contamination affecting your site is insignificant, or when contamination may be present but significant harm is unlikely. 

Contaminated Land Regulations - The Polluter Pays Principle 

The Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000 became law on 1st April 2000, giving effect to Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and providing a legal definition of contaminated land. Contaminated land is defined in Part 2A as 'Land which appears to the local authority . . . to be in such a condition that, by reason of substances in, on or under the land that; significant harm is being caused or there is the significant possibility of such harm being caused to specified receptors (targets), or pollution of controlled waters is being, or is likely to be caused.

A determination as contaminated land under Part 2A means the land in question is considered to pose a significant risk to health or the environment, and this will often result in regulatory action such as the serving of a remediation notice against the relevant party.

In contrast, the term 'land contamination' generally describes merely the presence ofchemicals or other substances at unusually high concentrations, whether from anthroprogenic or natural sources. Much previously used land today is affected by contamination in some form and to some degree, for example as a result of geology rich in metals. The key question is whether this poses a significant risk. 

The contaminated land regime is intended to enable the identification and remediation of land which due to contamination is causing unacceptable risks to human health or the wider environment. It gives local authorities (and in the case potential special sites or groundwater contamination, the Environment Agency) the responsibility to inspect sites that are likely to meet Part 2As legal definition of contaminated land. It also provides powers to bring enforcement action and/or recover the costs of remediation under relevant circumstances.