As understanding of the importance of contaminated land has increased, it has become more common for solicitors and people buying houses to enquire about it.

Commercial environmental searches

Environmental searches are frequently carried out by conveyancing solicitors to find out if contamination may affect the property being offered for sale. These environmental searches are usually provided by commercial organisations and are supplied at various levels of detail.

Environmental searches generally include a study of historic maps, land use records and other information that might indicate contamination. The search provider may then issue a certificate stating that the site appears to be at minimal risk of being affected by contamination.

If contamination is suspected, the search provider may withhold the certificate and issue a warning that contamination may be present. This is not a guarantee that contamination is actually present and we would recommend that you contact City of York Council's environmental protection unit for advice.

City of York Council records

We hold information on many sites in the city and may have records relating to your property. Relevant information is held by the environmental protection unit, the planning department or the building control department.  

The environmental protection unit holds detailed records of past industrial activities, rubbish tips (landfill sites), the potential for contaminated land and information on contamination testing and clean-up work.
 
The environmental protection unit can provide basic information and advice free of charge. However, if you require a detailed written response a fee is charged to cover the cost of the work. The charge for 2012/13 is £43.96 per hour. 

The environmental protection unit can provide information and advice, but ultimately it is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that your concerns have been addressed. You may wish to carry out testing, as physical testing of the soil is the only way to gain a detailed picture of the actual ground conditions. We recommend that any sampling and interpretation of results is carried out by a specialist environmental consultant.