We have a duty to inspect land in our district and decide if it's contaminated.
What is 'contaminated' land?
By 'contaminated', we mean land or water that's polluted by substances in, on or under it.
We have a duty to manage contaminated land within the district and to set out how this is done in its Contaminated Land Strategy. The strategy was first drafted in 2002 and has been updated every five years since.
The requirements of the strategy are largely determined by Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Statutory Guidance issued in 2012. The strategy covers how contaminated land is identified, assessed and remediated where necessary. Legally, the strategy only considers land where the level of contamination is assessed as a significant risk.
It explains how that assessment is made. Land that is generally affected by contamination but does not meet this strict definition is dealt with through other regimes e.g. the planning regime for new developments. Section 4.7 of our Contaminated Land Strategy provides further information on these other regimes.
FHDC's Contaminated Land Strategy document covering 2021-2026 can be found below:
Contaminated Land Policy 2021 - 2026 (PDF,1.47MB)
Report contaminated land
If you're concerned that local land or water is being contaminated, report it to the Environmental Health team.
Guidance with planning applications
You can also contact us to ask for guidance on how to submit a planning application for land that is or might be contaminated.
Contaminated land register
There are currently no entries on the risk register.