Contaminated land

Some land in this country has been contaminated in the past by industries such as:

• Gasworks
• Tanneries
• Chemical works
• Dye works
• Landfills (refuse tips)

These are often called brownfield sites.

Brownfield sites can be a problem where substances (e.g. chemicals, materials such as asbestos, or radioactive materials) are harmful to human health or the wider environment. However, brownfield sites do not generally cause a problem unless they are redeveloped for a different use.

Action required

If you own or occupy contaminated land now, or you did in the past, you may be responsible for cleaning up the pollution. You may still be responsible for cleaning up the pollution after you have sold the land.

Some contamination can be a hazard to current occupants or neighbours and the law says the problem must be put right immediately.

Contaminated Land Register

The council is required under Section 78R of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to maintain a Public Register of Contaminated Land that holds certain information.

This includes:

• Remediation Notices
• Remediation Declarations/Statements
• Appeals against Notices
• Designation of special sites
• Notification of Claimed Remediation
• Convictions for Offences

The contaminated land register can be viewed here:

SMDC Contaminated Land Register (PDF) [477KB]

Land development

​​If you're the owner or developer of a site it's your responsibility to investigate and address land contamination issues and ensure that any future development is safe and suitable for use.