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The cost of unforeseen Contaminated Land

The sooner you get clarity on your site’s ground risk, the sooner you can make the right decisions.

Contaminated Land Consultants committed to getting your site approved and built

Your specialist Contaminated Land Consultant is part of a dedicated team of Chartered professionals who have been successfully gaining regulatory approval for clients all over the UK, ensuring that their sites are safe and compliant places to live and work.

Our Phase 1 Desk Studies are expertly prepared by experienced consultants who are committed to providing you with technically robust reports that are tailored to meet your plans for the site.

  • Tick Icon Reduce your risk, by gaining valuable insights
  • Tick Icon Technically robust report, written to highest standards
  • Tick Icon 98% sign off success rate, very satisfied regulators

Meet Your Consultant

Phase 1 Desk Study

Our Consultants can review your site and guide you through the complex process of undertaking a Phase 1 Desk Study, so you can get your site approved and built.

They are ready to get started.

Get Your Phase 1 Desk Study

1

Get Proposal

Answer a few questions, so together we can come up with a plan that fits your timescales and budget.

2

Phase 1 Desk Study

We work through the complex process of evaluating and assessing the contaminated land risk of the site.

3

Receive Desk Study

Written with a regulator in mind to gain approval, so you can take action to ensure a safe and compliant site.

Could You Require A Phase 1 Desk Study?

A Phase 1 Desk Study is the first stage of a phased contaminated land assessment and involves no intrusive excavation work.

Phase 1 Desk Studies can often be completed quickly and are used to support planning applications, remove objections or discharge planning conditions.

They may be needed due to historical uses of the site, or its location near to an area known to have land contamination issues.

The purpose of a Phase 1 Desk Study is to evaluate the potential for a source of contamination to be present and the risk that source may pose to a sensitive receptor, such as people living in a new housing development.

Phase 1 Desk Study

A Phase 1 Desk Study is the first stage of a phased contaminated land assessment and is often required by local planning authorities to support planning applications, remove objections or discharge planning conditions.

The scale of developments that may require a Desk Study can range from minor building extensions to large strategic housing sites.

In addition to supporting the planning process, Phase 1 Desk Studies are also used to:

  • Satisfy NHBC land quality conditions (or any other warranty provider).
  • Provide financial security for banks and mortgage lenders.
  • Provide legal security to solicitors who may be conveyancing as part of land purchase.
  • Support Environmental Due Diligence audits.
  • Inform an Environmental Statement for inclusion into an Environmental Impact Assessment.

A Phase 1 Desk Study is arguably the most important part of a contaminated land assessment as it defines the need and scope for any further site investigation and subsequent remedial action, as required, that will be significantly more expensive.

In order to meet your needs and ensure you remain compliant, all our Phase 1 Desk Studies are carried out in accordance with current guidance such as the recommended approach set out in the Environment Agency’s Model Procedures for Land Contamination Risk Management (LCRM) including:

  • A site walkover by a professional consultant to assess the current condition and interview people most familiar with the site.
  • Review of historical OS maps dating back to the mid-1800s, review of available site plans and aerial photographs.
  • Identification of known pollution incidents, landfill sites and discharge consents using publically available information.
  • Review of the environmental setting including geology, hydrogeology and hydrology.
  • Development of a conceptual site model and qualitative risk assessment.
  • Preparation of a report ready for submission to the local planning authority or appropriate authority.

Our Phase 1 Desk Studies regularly receive positive feedback from clients and planning regulators such as local environmental health officers. We pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive conceptual model and risk assessment with clear and concise recommendations helping to move the development forward.

These are some frequently asked questions when commissioning Phase 1 Desk Study Report:

Do I need a Phase 1 Desk Study?
Do you have any planning conditions attached to your planning permission? If so, the conditions may have details which require a Contaminated Land Assessment or Phase 1 Desk Study. These terms are often interchangeable for the same type of report.

What if I already have a ‘Site Check’ document as part of the sale/purchase of my property?
The danger of a basic site check is that they are usually computer generated. These will usually be rejected by the Local Planning Authority as it means there is the increased potential for oversights, no site walkover (which is more often than not essential), no conceptual model or risk assessment and non-compliant reports. Our Phase 1 Desk Studies are written by qualified consultants who can expertly assess the risks for your site.

Where do you work?

Based in the South East of England we can work throughout the UK. Our projects are largely based in Greater London and the South East.

How long will it take to prepare a Phase 1 Desk Study?
A Phase 1 Desk Study will normally take up to 2 weeks to complete subject to gaining access to conduct a site walkover.

Can I skip a Phase 1 Desk Study and undertake a Phase 2 Investigation instead?
It is recommended that the completed Phase 1 Desk Study is submitted to the local planning authority for review and comment, ideally before commencing with any Phase 2 Site Investigation work. Otherwise there is a risk that you will either miss a potentially significant source of contamination that will appear during development (delaying during a critical time in your programme), the regulator (or other key stakeholders) will not approve it or an unecessary amount of site investigation work will be undertaken, wasting valuable time, money and resources. A good Phase 1 Desk Study undertaken in advance is a small price to pay compared to cost of not undertaking one before breaking ground with a Phase 2 Site Investigation.

How can I be sure I need a Phase 1 Desk Study?
If you are unsure as to whether you require a Phase 1 Desk Study, please give us a call, so together we can discuss your requirements. Alternatively, please send an email to info@lustreconsulting.com and provide us with the site location and description of the proposed development, where one of our consultants will be in touch.

Sites Successfully Approved and Built

Cotswold Mews Ltd in Battersea Square, London is to be redeveloped from commercial office space into residential apartments. Lustre Consulting was appointed to carry out a Phase 1 Desk Study and Flood Risk Assessment to support the planning application. The aim of the Phase 1 Desk Study was to identify any potential sources of contamination at […]

Cotswold Mews Ltd in Battersea Square, London is to be...

A former large scale fuel storage and distribution depot is in the process of being redeveloped into a commercial development. The depot, located within a chalk quarry, was decommissioned around 15 years ago with all associated infrastructure removed. Prior to Lustre Consulting’s involvement several investigations, dating back over a decade, had been conducted. The investigations […]

A former large scale fuel storage and distribution depot is in...

The Regent Parade site in Birmingham is in the process of being redeveloped from a light industrial use into a mixed residential and commercial use including retail space, town houses and apartments. Lustre Consulting was appointed by One Property Group to carry out a phased contaminated land assessment including a Phase 1 Desk Study and […]

The Regent Parade site in Birmingham is in the process of being...

This site was granted planning permission by the Secretary of State for the development of 350 100% affordable low rise houses and apartments. The site comprises approximately 24ha of open space, bisected by a former sand pit and pond. Site investigations undertaken since the 1990s found the pond (1ha in area and up to 4m […]

This site was granted planning permission by the Secretary of...

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