Need a Land Contamination Survey?
Use RenKap
Need a land contamination survey? Simply upload your site on the RenKap platform to:
- Reduce your management time by 90%
- Instantly receive a minimum of 3 quotes from our vetted suppliers
- Receive one digital dashboard with survey recommendations
- Quality reports every time guaranteed
Need a Land Contamination Survey?
Use RenKap
Need a land contamination survey? Simply upload your site on the RenKap platform to:
- Reduce your management time by 90%
- Instantly receive a minimum of 3 quotes from our vetted suppliers
- Receive one digital dashboard with survey recommendations
- Quality reports every time guaranteed
The only site investigation checklist you need
Download our site investigation checklist, which covers the 13 site investigation surveys you need to complete on every site. This includes a rundown of why you need each of them and at what stage throughout the project lifecycle.
What is a land contamination survey?
In order to make sure that land being developed is suitable and safe for use, an assessment of the potential contamination in the ground is necessary and is required under the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) and local authority building control regulations.
These surveys will identify any potential contamination risks and will highlight if and what remedial work is required.
Why are land contamination surveys important?
They are essential in protecting local watercourses and local inhabitants from potential harm. They are also a necessary planning condition on all development projects.
Additionally they will be required by buyers, sellers and lenders in property transactions to ensure that the property is not impaired by unforeseen environmental liabilities.
What is a phase 1 land contamination survey?
A Phase 1 survey is a desktop assessment where a specialist surveyor reviews historical data to determine the potential risks of contaminants on a site. The historical data includes geological, environmental and ordnance survey data, regulatory records and other information.
The surveyor will look at past uses of the site to determine its likelihood of contamination. If risks are identified within the desktop study then a Phase 2 land contamination survey will be required.
What is a phase 2 land contamination survey?
A phase 2 survey is an intrusive on-site survey where surveyors will go to site and extract several boreholes across the site. A borehole is essentially a tube of soil which can be removed from the ground in order to be able to send samples to a laboratory for testing.
These samples will be studies in order to identify what contaminants are present (if any) and also where they are located on the site. Once you have this information, the surveyors can prepare the remediation strategy for removing or mitigating any contamination risks on site.
When do you need to complete a land contamination survey?
A land contamination phase 1 survey should be completed on every site and usually at RIBA stage 1. If a contamination risk is identified then the Phase 2 survey will be required. This should be completed at RIBA stage 2 or 3.
How long does a land contamination survey take to complete?
A land contamination phase 1 survey can be completed remotely and usually within 1 or 2 weeks. The land contamination phase 2 survey will take longer due to it’s intrusive nature. Usually this will include a lead time for the surveyors to mobilise which may take 1 or 2 weeks and then the boreholes on site could be completed within a few days depending on the size of the site. The samples will be sent to the lab and then the report will usually be completed 2 to 3 weeks later. We aim to deliver all of our surveys within a guaranteed 6 week period.
What are the key pieces of information that surveyors need from a client to complete their survey?
The key pieces of information would include:
- Site location
- Redline boundary (the perimeter of the site boundary)
- Development proposals
- A scope of survey (i.e. a brief of exactly what they need to include)
For the phase 2 survey the suppliers would also need:
- Site access instructions
- Unencumbered access to the site
- An agreed borehole location plan
What are the key items that would affect the cost of a land contamination survey?
The main factors that would affect the cost would include: the size of the site, the amount of boreholes, their depths and sample frequency of each borehole.
The sample frequency determines at what intervals the surveyor should take a sample from each borehole. For example this could be at each meter, half meter or other.
We would always recommend that the geotechnical survey is completed at the same time as the same boreholes and samples can be used so its very efficient.
How to identify competent surveyors?
As a minimum they should:
- Abide by the construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015)
- Abide by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Have an appropriate level of professional indemnity insurance (Ideally more than £5m)
- Have an internal quality assurance procedure
- Have suitably trained and quality staff
The RenKap platform has already pre-vetted the best UK suppliers so you don’t have to. If you would like to learn more and check out our pricing plans click here.
The only site investigation checklist you need
Download our site investigation checklist, which covers the 13 site investigation surveys you need to complete on every site. This includes a rundown of why you need each of them and at what stage throughout the project lifecycle.