Environmental searches are often carried out by solicitors to find out if contamination may affect property or land being offered for sale.
Environmental searches:
- are provided by commercial organisations
- are supplied with varying degrees of detail
- generally include a study of historic maps, land use records and other information that may indicate contamination
- may include a certificate stating contamination is unlikely to be present
If contamination is suspected, the search provider may withhold the certificate and issue a warning. This is not a guarantee that contamination is actually present, and we would recommend that you contact our Public Protection Unit for advice in this case.
Enquiries related to our records
Our Public Protection Unit holds detailed records of:
- past industrial sites
- waste disposal sites
- potentially contaminated sites
- information on contamination testing and clean up work
We can provide some basic information and advice free of charge, providing it takes no longer than 30 minutes to prepare. However, detailed written responses will incur a fee of £84.00 per hour to cover our time; contact the Public Protection Unit for more information.
You can pay for an environmental search or information online.
Contact our Planning department if you require information regarding planning applications or approvals.