Contaminated Land Site Investigation – Epsom and Ewell

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Southwest Environmental have recent been commissioned to undertake a contaminated land  site investigation within the London borough of Epsom and Ewell. The site investigation was commissioned on Wednesday the 30th April, and work began on the 6th of May. Making for a very prompt start.

I addition to the soil sampling of a car park area, vapour monitoring was also undertaken in the existing building which is ear marked for conversion under the new permitted development rights.

Another riveting photo!

The samples are currently with the labs on a very quick 3 day turnaround meaning the draft (soils only) report will be issued just two weeks after commissioning.

Environmental Permit Application – Hereford

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Acting on instruction from a construction and demolition company based to the north of Hereford. Southwest Environmental are undertaking an environmental permit application for a SR2010No12 permit (Treatment of waste to produce soil, soil substitutes and aggregate) .

The application site is ideally situated and meet the criteria for a standard permit;

• 10 metres of any watercourse;
• 50 metres from any spring or well, or from any borehole not used to supply water for domestic or food
production purposes; and
• 50 metres from any well, spring or from any  borehole used for the supply of water for human
consumption.  This must include private water supplies.
• 250metres within the presence of Great Crested Newts, where it is linked to the breeding ponds of the
newts by good habitat.; 
• 50 metres of a site that has relevant species or habitats protected under the Biodiversity Action Plan
that the Environment Agency considers at risk to this activity.;. 
• 50 metres of a National Nature Reserve (NNR), Local Nature Reserves(LNR), Local Wildlife 
  Site (LWS), Ancient woodland or Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The application is under way, with fairly limited supporting documentation constituting and Environmental management System, and a Site Condition Report.

Flood Risk Assessment – Bristol

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Southwest Environmental Limited were commissioned to write a flood risk assessment to accompany a planning application.

SWEl were informed that that the site was within flood zone 1, and was at low risk of flooding from tides and rivers. However, there was a question with regards to surface water flooding.

Unlike most developments that see the introduction of built elements, with a subsequent decrease in attenuation, the proposal saw the introduction of large areas of woodland and meadow land which resulted in a 10% increase in attenuation.

Flood Risk Bristol

Daylight Assessment for Basement Flat – Haringey

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Daylight Assessment for Basement Flat – Haringey

SWEL were approached by a property company in Haringey, London, to undertake an assessment of daylighting in an existing basement flat, with a view to making improvements to to increase daylighting.

A recommended level (ADF) of 1.5% is given for living areas, and the calculated ADF for the living area was around 0.25%.

The existing basement had an open sky angle of around 19 degrees, and an obstruction angle of 50 degrees. A report was published to suggest improvements that saw calculated ADF raised to 1.6%.

Sunlight and Daylight Assessment

Contaminated Land Site Investigation – Newton Abbot

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Southwest Environmental had previously carried out a Phase 1 Contaminated Land Desktop Study for a site in the Teign Valley. The site had been extensively worked as mine over the last 100 years or so, before being developed for residential use, probably around 40 years ago.

Soil sampling was undertaken using hand dug trial pits across the site, with a total of 10 sampling locations. Gas monitoring wells were also installed under the proposed extension foot print, ground water was close to the surface.

Sub soils conditions were varied, bedrock was encountered in the first 1 meter below ground level in some holes, whilst other were fill.

Plan Annotated During Field Work

We are awaiting results from the labs but there were no odorous materials detected during the ground investigation.

Site Investigation Devon

Phase 1 Desktop Study – Plymouth

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Acting on instruction from a developer in Plymouth, Southwest Environmental produced a phase 1 desktop study report for a planning application.

The site was on the city outskirts and had enjoyed an agricultural history. It was not foreseen that the land could be unduly contaminated and so its was recomedned that the site contamination assessment be arrested at this first phase.

An agricultural past with no buildings on site will nearly always mean low risk of harm resulting from site occupiers, although of course each site has to be assessed on an individual basis.

 Desktop Study Plymouth

Attenuation Tank Design – Surrey

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Following on from planning level reporting resulting in the conditioning of various surface water management requirements. Southwest Environmental are finalising design of surface water management system for a site in Surrey.

Design of attenuation tank in line with SUDs manual – Outflow requirements are negotiated with local sewer provider Thames Water, and tank capacity is adjusted to minimise capital outlay for developer.

Application is made to Thames Water for Sewer Connection. 

Note: The size of a surface water attenuation tank is based on the peak inflow rates from the site  (the run-off coefficient is taken it to account when calculating this), and the maximum outflow rate. For example a 5 litre per second outflow rate would require an attenuation tank size of 20 cubic meters, whilst a 10 litre per second out flow would require an 8 cubic meter attenuation tank.

As well as the attenuation tank design, a maintenance plan was submitted for it continued upkeep.

Environmental Permit Application – Exeter

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Environmental Permit Application – Exeter

Acting on Instruction from a business in Exeter, Southwest Environmental were commissioned to undertake a environmental permit application for a bespoke end of life vehicles, waste facility (EOLV).

Environmental Permit Application -Site Condition Report

Owing to an an industrial past it was deemed appropriate to undertake soil sampling on site to establish baseline conditions before permit issue. This is not only a requirement of the permit application but helps safe guard the operator against liabilities arising from contaminated land.
Site works took place over two days, site surfacing although continuous was easily broken through, and sampling was completed in around 4 – 6 hours.
Samples are currently at the labs, and records of results will be placed in the site condition report.

Environmental Permit Application – EMS

The company do have aspirations to become accredited to ISO14001, and this would satisfy EMS requirements under the permit, but in the mean time the company will use a in house system.
The environmental management system was written by southwest environmental with aspects and impacts being carefully considered before the products of management matrices etc.

Desktop Study – Exmouth

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Desktop Study – Exmouth

Acting on instruction received from an architect in Devon, a phase 1 contamination survey was conducted at a property situated in close proximity to historic mine workings. The dwelling which is established on site is in fact an old engine shed / pump house left over from historic mining in the area.

The geology in the area was very complex, with numerous faults and metamorphosed mud stones and shale, it is likely that the mineral working were advanced in search of hydro thermal deposits.

It became apprent through the review of histroic maps that mining had been carried out on site since before 1889.

In this instance further work was unavoidable, as so a site investigation and quantitative risk assessment were recommended.

Desktop Study Exeter

Flood Risk Assessment – Wandsworth, London

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 Flood Risk Assessment – Wandsworth,  London

SWEL were engaged by a firm of architects in Wandsworth, London to undertake a flood risk assessment for a change of use planning application.

The report was completed in under 5 working days, and issued via email. Recommendation were that checks should be made to confirm estimate existing floor levels and if they were above a certain level, then permission should be granted.

Of higher than usual concern in the area was sewer flooding, which may have been a result as a result of catchment transfer on a local level.

Flood Risk Reports Wandsworth

Flood Risk Assessment