Contaminated land

We published the Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy for the borough in July 2001. This was revised in July 2011 which can be viewed at the bottom of this page.

This includes an inspection programme to identify and remediate land which is causing an unacceptable risk to human health or the wider environment.

The public register of contaminated land

We are required under section 78R of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to maintain a public register of all regulatory action that has been undertaken in respect to the remediation of contaminated land. A register entry will be created when one of the following happens:

• the land is designated a special site
• a remediation declaration is published
• a remediation statement is published, or
• a remediation notice is served

Sites that have been determined as contaminated land but where no consequent action has yet been taken will not appear on the register. At this point much of the original notification information will be included in the register entry.

The regulations specify the information to be included in the register, which is:

• remediation notices
• site information and details of site reports obtained by the authority relating to remediation notices
• designation of sites as 'special sites'
• site specific guidance issued by the Environment Agency
• remediation declarations, remediation statements and notifications of claimed remediation
• any appeals lodged against remediation and charging notices
• convictions for non compliance with notices
• statement regarding the existence of confidential information

The register will not include details of historic land use and other records used in the investigation of potentially contaminated land.

You can view the register free of charge at the council offices in Basingstoke. Requests for copies of documents must be made to the Environmental Health team and there is a small charge.

Currently, there are no entries on the register.

Guidance for developers when carrying out site investigations

A guide has been produced, and can be viewed at the bottom of this page, to assist developers and their consultants in meeting the requirements of planning conditions relating to land which is or may be contaminated.  Such contamination is usually the result of previous land usage(s) or may, in certain cases, be due to contaminants being present due to natural geological conditions.  The guide does not form part of any planning permission and is for information purposes only.

Oil tanks

Leaks from damaged or faulty domestic heating oil tanks occur frequently, especially over the winter months and can cause major problems to the environment. It can contaminate the ground, kill plants, harm wildlife, pollute rivers and contaminate drinking water supplies. Clean up costs often run into thousands of pounds. These events are not always covered by insurance.

Householders are asked to take the following steps:

• Check your tank and pipework regularly, look for corrosion damage and signs of leaks
• Keep a close eye on how much oil you use. If it suddenly changes you might have a leak
• Don't allow your tank to the overfilled
• Have your boiler, tank, ancillary equipment and all pipework checked by an Oil Firing Technical Association (Oil Firing Technical Association website) technician at least once a year
• Check your home insurance policy - you may not be covered for loss of oil or pollution clean-up costs

For further information and advice please refer to the Environment Agency pages on the GOV.UK website.