The redevelopment of contaminated land for housing use

The present lack of legislation dealing specifically with land contamination is creating problems for real estate professionals practising in the United Kingdom. Housing developers and their advisors have to use their best judgement in deciding whether or not development sites are likely to fall within an official definition of 'contaminated land' and to plan soil treatment accordingly. Recent research has shown that potential uyers and renters of new housing are prepared to live on former contaminated sites but they expect to be informed about former land uses and remediation work which has been undertaken. Housebuilders, on the other hand, are often reluctant to provide this information through fear that it may be commercially damaging. There is considerable variation in the approach adopted by local planning authorities when considering applications for housing development on contaminated sites and there are marked differences in the knowledge of real estate professionals.