Pollution Control - Contaminated Land
As industries have disappeared or relocated, the consumer society grown, heating methods changed and the volume of rubbish going to landfill increased, the result is a legacy of contaminated land which in some cases may be harmful.
In April 2000, the Government introduced The Environmental Protection Act 1990 Part IIa - Contaminated Land, designed to respond to the 20th century legacy of contaminated land.
According to this Act the definition of Contaminated Land is:
"Any land which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated to be in such a condition, by reason of substances in, on, or under the land, that -
(a) significant harm is being caused or there is a significant possibility of such harm being caused; or
(b) significant pollution of controlled waters is being caused or there is a significant possibility of such pollution being caused;
Where harm is attributable to radioactivity, the definition of contaminated land has been modified by The Radioactive Contaminated Land (Modification of Enactments) (England) Regulations 2006 as:
(c) harm is being caused or there is a significant possibility of harm being caused."
The Environmental Protection Act requires Basildon Council to:
- take necessary steps to identify contaminated land
- maintain an ongoing Contaminated Land Strategy (PDF) [873KB] (opens new window)
- maintain a Contaminated Land Register
Basildon Council's Contaminated Land Officer works alongside developers, landowners and other regulatory bodies to ensure that the land in the Basildon Borough is 'suitable for use' and does not pose a risk to the environment as a whole.
For further information download our Contaminated Land Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) [255KB] .
Contaminated Land Register can be found here Basildon Borough Council - Contaminated Land Register - 2023 (Word doc) [3MB]
Enquiries from Homeowners and Landowners
If you are concerned about a risk of contamination on your land or property, you can submit an application requesting information.
For details and further information download our Contaminated Land Enquiry Factsheet (PDF) [1MB]
Please note that under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (opens new window) Basildon Council has the right to charge for any information disclosed to an applicant.
Information for Developers
See Essex Contaminated Land Consortium document...