Guidance for the Safe Development of Housing on Land Affected by Contamination

This Guidance has been prepared on behalf of the NHBC (National House-Building Council), the Environment Agency and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). It updates the earlier guidance (R&D66 - published in 2000) on the redevelopment of land affected by contamination.

In the period since publication of R&D66 in 2000, a substantial body of technical guidance has been produced by the Environment Agency and others, including most importantly the Environment Agency Model Procedures (CLR11). These Model Procedures now form a framework within which the assessment of all sites of land affected by contamination should be carried out. This Guidance has therefore been prepared to accord with the Model Procedures, but has been written and published in a manner designed to enable the practical application of good practice within this framework by all of the relevant parties.

The Government's repeated commitment to the redevelopment of land affected by contamination (for both housing and other developments) emphasises the continued need for the adoption of the good practice procedures described here. Such good practice satisfies the requirements of guidance relevant to development regulated through the planning regime. In addition, development which complies with this good practice guidance will 'as a minimum' ensure that the land is not capable of 'determination' as Contaminated Land under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act.

The guidance is produced in two volumes:

Volume 1 describes the phased process for the safe management of land affected by contamination. 

Volume 2 contains Appendices and technical Annexes which support Volume 1.