Previously Developed Land

Citation

Wynn, P. (2005), "Previously Developed Land", Structural Survey, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 161-161. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2005.23.2.161.1

This is a successor to the author's earlier Desk Guide to Potentially Contaminative Land Uses. It provides a generally clear guide to issues that arise in the redevelopment of brownfield sites.

Part A deals with issues influencing redevelopment and value. Besides chapters written by the principal author, there are contributions from a number of other specialists. The chapters that inter alia, cover introduction to policy, valuations, barriers to redevelopment, recording of land condition, the use of GIS datasets, and speculation on future relevant legal changes, are each useful clear accounts in themselves. However, in the case of the chapters from the guest authors, they have the character of contributions to a conference rather than being part of an integrated text. This is especially so in the chapter entitled “Modernising the British planning system” which is as general as its title suggests. A chapter on the role of the planning system in the development of brownfield sites might have been a far more relevant contribution.

Part B considers industrial activities and contamination. It is introduced by a chapter which outlines in a general way how industrial activities may lead to land contamination through the delivery, storage and handling of raw materials, manufacturing processes and the disposal of wastes. This is set in the context of the Source – Pathway – Receptor approach used in the legal assessment of whether land is classed as contaminated under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Guidance is given on how to interpret and build on existing site investigation reports. The introductory chapter is followed by more detailed information on how contamination may have arisen as a result of 39 categories of previous land use. The text draws on a number of sources, especially industry profiles published by the then Department of Environment in the mid‐1990s. For each category a description of the activities that may have been carried out is given including practices that may have led to deliberate or accidental release of potential contaminants. Case studies are provided where appropriate.

Overall the book does a good job of meeting its aim of providing professionals not directly involved with the remediation of contaminated land with a better understanding of the subject.