Environmental Consultancy for Private Individuals

 

Planning Assistance

We regularly assist private individuals with environmental problems. People often find planning applications for extensions have planning conditions attached requiring a desk study or site investigation to confirm the absence of contamination.

We can tailor all of our investigations to meet our client's budget and demands, and are able to advise on planning requirements, as well as lead on the liaison with regulators (local authorities, Environment Agency and NHBC) on behalf of our clients.

Ground Gas Monitoring - Hildenborough

This site is an existing residential property situated within 250m of a former landfill. Planning permission was granted to rebuild the existing domestic garage with residential accommodation above subject to the findings of a gas risk assessment. We installed 3 standpipes and carried out a programme of monitoring. Results were presented in a simplified assessment report to the local authority to discharge this planning condition.

Part 2A Assessment - Eridge Green

The owner of this site was unable to sell her property due to the presence of an adjacent small scale gas works facility indicated on historical maps. Local authority environmental searches highlighted this as representing a 'potentially unacceptable risk', with the impact being perspective buyers pulling out of the purchase of the property. We investigated soils at the site and tested for commonly occurring contaminants. Our report presented a risk assessment, confirming the contamination status of soils, assessing a very low risk from the adjacent gas works and confirming that the site is not significantly contaminated for it to be classed as ‘contaminated land’ under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Our report was provided to the local authority for information to be provided to future potential purchasers of the site.

Combined Geotechnical and Contamination Assessment - Cobham

We were initially commissioned to provide geotechnical information to the structural engineer overseeing the re-modelling of this residential property. NHBC concerns were raised later on in the project, concerning potential soil contamination and gas risks on site. We assisted this client by testing soils and installing ground gas monitoring standpipes. Our reports confirmed the absence of significant soil contamination and presented a detailed gas risk assessment. Our assessment confirmed that the protective measures installed and building design were suitable to address the gas risk recorded from the standpipes. We liaised with the NHBC and our involvement with this project allowed the clearance of ‘Red' conditions for the development.

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