Policy information sourced from Lewisham Development Management Local Plan

DM Policy 28 Contaminated Land

The Council will use the following steps to ensure that contaminated land is fully investigated and remediated, to minimise and mitigate any harmful effects to human health and the environment. This is applicable wherever development is proposed on contaminated land, land suspected of being contaminated, or if a sensitive use is proposed, to ensure contamination is properly addressed. Applicants are required to:

  • complete a Preliminary Risk Assessment, consisting of a desk top study and site walkover report that shows all previous and existing uses of the site and adjacent land, and which assesses what the potential contamination risks to identified receptors are
  • undertake a Site Intrusive Investigation, where necessary, to provide sufficient information to characterise the site and provide for a detailed assessment of the risks to all receptors that may be affected, including those off site
  • obtain a Remediation Strategy, where contamination exists, for the Council’s approval, to deal with the identified hazards to ecosystems, humans, property and controlled waters and subsequent management and monitoring arrangements
  • submit a Verification Plan for any remediation works, completed by a suitably qualified person, that would be fully implemented and verified before occupation of the site to ensure effective measures would be taken to treat, contain or control the contamination in order to protect:
    • the occupiers of development and neighbouring land uses
    • the structural integrity of new and existing buildings and
    • any watercourse, water body or aquifer.
  • submit a Verification Report, before occupation of the site, demonstrating completion and validation of works set out in the approved Remediation Strategy and the effectiveness of the remediation, for approval in writing by the Council. The report shall include results of sampling and monitoring carried out in accordance with the approved Verification Plan to demonstrate that the site remediation criteria have been met.

For more information please see the Local Plan