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Would you like Southwest Environmental to produce a desktop study for your planning application? Please contact us for a quote.
As a condition of their planning application a client based in the midlands was asked (by the local planning authority) to complete a Phase 1 Desktop Study as a condition of his planning approval. After finding Southwest Environmental Limited (Environmental Consultants) Listed on Google, he instructed us to assemble a report.
After a thorough site walk over
survey it was not apparent that the site had an industrial past, nor was
there any evidence of land contamination.
On returning to the office a third party data set was purchased from a
specialist supplier. The data set includes details of potential
Sources, Pathways and Receptors
in the immediate area.
Sources: Petrol Stations, Work Shops, Vehicle Repairs,
Printing Shops and Dry Cleaners were all identified as being in the
area.
Pathway: Geological and Hydro geological maps are
included in the data that can be used to determine possible pathways
through soils, lithology or groundwater. Pathways can take pollution off
site or bring contaminants on site.
Environmental Receptors such as RAMSAAR sites and SSSI's are listed in the data, if present this was not applicable in this instance. Groundwater is also designated zones in terms of it vulnerability, no ground water vulnerability zones were present under the site.
Historic maps showed conclusively that the site in
question had an industrial heritage, as the map to the left shows,
(sorry about the quality but the map is 100 years old) there had been
various uses associated with the site, soap works and generic "works"
being labeled on a number of maps.
After completing the site specific conceptual model and the site
specific risk assessment (qualitative) the final recommendations were
made.
In this case it was recommended that further investigations were carried
out, a Phase 2 Site Investigation
was recommended, with a associated Quantitative Risk Assessment.
It is often an unfortunate occurrence when a land owner discovers that
his land may be contaminated as there is considerable cost involved in a
Phase 2 Investigation, SWEL always
recommend carrying out a Desktop Study
Before the exchange of contracts.