Land could be contaminated as a result of industrial work. This contamination may cause a risk to people’s health or the environment (although serious harm is rare).
These sites will probably have been cleaned up when they were redeveloped. However, this is not always the case, especially when sites were redeveloped some time ago.
Under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which came into force on 1 April 2000, local authorities must inspect land in their area to check for possible risks to people’s health or the environment.
How this affects you
Moving house
Solicitors and conveyancers must warn you about the possible dangers of buying a property built on contaminated land.
Under certain circumstances, the current owner or occupier may have to remove, treat or control the contamination at their own cost.
Before you buy a property you should have an Environmental Search in order to find out if a property is likely to be affected by contamination. A number of private companies will provide this service to you for a fee – your legal advisor or estate agent will be able help.
Information we hold
We may be able to give you information about contamination at a particular property. We must provide this in line with the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
The Environmental Information Regulations came into force on 1 January 2005 to replace the Environmental Information Regulations 1992. They give you the right to get information we hold about matters relating to the environment, although some conditions and exemptions apply.
If you have questions about the kind of information we would be able to supply send an email to customerservices@rochford.gov.uk
How can I find out environmental information about a property?
- Look at the Contaminated Land page to see if you can get the information you need for free.
- Download a copy of the request form from the Buying and Selling a Property page
- Make sure your request is as clear as possible. If it isn’t, we may need to contact you, which may delay our response. You
should also include a map of the site. - Our website will give you our current fee or you can contact our Customer Services using customerservices@rochford.gov.uk
What happens next?
Once we have received your form (clearly stating your questions), map and payment, we will start to carry out our enquiries.
The standard fee is for up to four hours’ work. This is normally enough for most enquiries, however, if your request involves extensive investigations, the following extra charges will apply:
Investigations taking more than four hours will cost more.
If we think we will need to do more than four hours’ work, we will let you know.
Please contact us on customerservices@rochford.gov.uk to find out how much our standard fee is.
The Information Commissioner
If you want more information about your rights under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, visit the Information
Commissioner's website or write to the Commissioner at:
EIR/FOI Complaints
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane, Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Fax: 01625 524510