Contaminated Land Strategy

Contaminated Land
Inspection Strategy
South Norfolk District Council

JULY, 2001
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.
1.2.
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.2.4
1.2.5
1.3.
1.4.
2.
GENERAL POLICY OF SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL................................................ 1
REGULATORY CONTEXT ..................................................................................................... 2
Regulatory role of local authorities under Part IIA ..................................................... 2
Regulatory role of the Environment Agency ................................................................. 3
Definition of Contaminated Land under Part IIA......................................................... 4
Risk based approach.................................................................................................. 4
Requirements for Strategic Approach........................................................................... 5
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGY...................................................................................... 6
OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY .......................................................................................... 6
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT ...............................................8
2.1.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ................................................................................................ 8
2.2.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................ 8
2.3.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................... 8
2.4.
SIZE .................................................................................................................................. 11
2.5.
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION ............................................................................................. 11
2.6.
LAND OWNED BY THE DISTRICT COUNCIL ........................................................................ 13
2.7.
CURRENT LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................... 13
2.8.
PROTECTED LOCATIONS ................................................................................................... 13
2.9.
KEY PROPERTY TYPES...................................................................................................... 13
2.10.
KEY WATER RESOURCE/PROTECTION ISSUES .................................................................. 15
2.11.
KNOWN INFORMATION ON CONTAMINATION.................................................................... 16
2.12.
CURRENT AND PAST INDUSTRIAL HISTORY ...................................................................... 16
2.12.1
Agricultural Development...................................................................................... 19
2.12.2
Military Development.............................................................................................19
2.13.
GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS ...................................................................................... 20
2.14.
HYDROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................. 23
2.15.
HYDROGEOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 23
2.16.
NATURAL CONTAMINATION ............................................................................................. 27
2.16.1
Radon ..................................................................................................................... 27
2.16.2
Methane, carbon dioxide and oil susceptibility ..................................................... 27
2.16.3
Soil Geochemistry .................................................................................................. 27
2.17.
REDEVELOPMENT HISTORY AND CONTROLS .................................................................... 28
3.
SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL STRATEGY: OVERALL AIMS ............... 30
3.1.
3.2.
4.
LOCAL AUTHORITY PRIORITY ACTIONS AND TIMESCALES .............................. 33
4.1.
4.2.
5.
AIMS OF THE STRATEGY.................................................................................................... 30
OBJECTIVES AND MILESTONES .......................................................................................... 31
PRIORITIES........................................................................................................................ 33
TIMESCALES ..................................................................................................................... 33
PROCEDURES ....................................................................................................................... 34
5.1.
5.2.
5.3.
5.4.
5.4.1
5.4.2
INTERNAL MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR INSPECTION AND IDENTIFICATION ........... 34
CONSIDERING LOCAL AUTHORITY INTERESTS IN LAND ..................................................... 34
INFORMATION COLLECTION ............................................................................................. 34
VOLUNTARY INFORMATION PROVISION AND COMPLAINTS .............................................. 35
Complaints .................................................................................................................. 35
Confidentiality ............................................................................................................ 35
P:\LWD\Re\3379mvs.doc
5.4.3
Voluntary provision of information ............................................................................36
5.4.4
Anonymously supplied information............................................................................. 36
5.4.5
Anecdotal evidence .....................................................................................................36
5.5.
INFORMATION EVALUATION ............................................................................................. 36
5.5.1
Soil .............................................................................................................................. 37
5.5.2
Soil-Gas ...................................................................................................................... 37
5.5.3
Controlled Waters....................................................................................................... 37
5.6.
INTERACTION WITH OTHER REGULATORY REGIMES .......................................................... 37
5.6.1 Planning ........................................................................................................................... 37
5.6.2 Water pollution................................................................................................................. 38
5.6.3 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)...................................................... 38
6.
LIAISON AND COMMUNICATION ..................................................................................39
6.1.
6.2.
6.3.
6.4.
6.5.
6.6.
6.7.
STATUTORY CONSULTEES ................................................................................................ 39
NON-STATUTORY CONSULTEES ........................................................................................ 39
COMMUNICATING WITH OWNERS, OCCUPIERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES .............. 39
POWERS OF ENTRY ............................................................................................................ 40
RISK COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................... 40
THE PUBLIC REGISTER...................................................................................................... 40
PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ......................................... 41
7.
PROGRAMME AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR DETAILED INSPECTION OF HIGH
PRIORITY SITES ............................................................................................................................ 42
7.1.
7.2.
8.
SITE SPECIFIC LIAISON AND POWERS OF ENTRY ................................................................. 42
FORMAL DESIGNATION OF CONTAMINATED LAND ........................................................... 42
REVIEW MECHANISMS ..................................................................................................... 44
8.1.
8.2.
8.3.
9.
10.
TRIGGERS FOR UNDERTAKING INSPECTION ....................................................................... 44
TRIGGERS FOR REVIEWING INSPECTION DECISIONS ........................................................... 44
REVIEWING THE STRATEGY .............................................................................................. 45
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT...................................................................................... 46
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 47
Figures
Figure 1. Location of South Norfolk and Neighbouring Districts.............................9
Figure 2. Main Settlements in South Norfolk..........................................................12
Figure 3. Areas of Known Ecological Importance ..................................................14
Figure 4. Environment Agency Registered Pollution Incidents and Principal Water
Drainage Features .............................................................................................17
Figure 5. Known Information on Potential Contamination Sources ........................18
Figure 6. Groundwater Vulnerability .......................................................................25
Figure 7. Groundwater Vulnerability (Drift) and Principal Surface Water Drainage
Features.............................................................................................................26
Tables
Table 1. Former USAF Airfields within South Norfolk District..............................20
Table 2. Geological Sequence of the District ...........................................................21
Table 3. Hydrogeological Features of the District....................................................24
Table 4. Classification of Stream Sediment Geochemical Data...............................28
Appendices
Appendix 1. Data Audit Findings
Appendix 2. Inspection Timetable
Appendix 3. Receptor Source-Proximity Relative Risk-Screening Model
South Norfolk District Council

Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy
Executive Summary
Under new regulations that came into force on 1st April 2000 (Part IIA of
Environmental Protection Act 1990) South Norfolk District Council is required to
inspect land in its district for the purpose of identifying contaminated land. A
strategy must be submitted to the Department of the Environment Transport and
Regions by July 2001. The strategy needs to detail how, in light of the
characteristics of the area, the authority will take a rational, ordered and efficient
approach to this inspection.
The fact that a harmful substance is (in terms of harm to human health, to ecosystems or to property) in, on or under a piece of land does not itself mean that land
is contaminated land. The source of harm may be present but unless a possible
route (plausible pollutant linkage) exists through which it is likely to cause harm
to health, eco-systems or property or to cause pollution of controlled waters, the
land is not contaminated within the meaning of the Act.
Prioritisation is therefore key. Former site uses will need to be taken into account
as will the local geological and hydrogeological conditions but it is the
identification of vulnerable receptors and plausible pollutant linkages, which will
drive the process.
The principal objectives of the strategy are therefore to:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
meet the statutory requirements to produce a strategy;

use the source-pathway-receptor model as an indication of plausible
pollutant linkages, reviewing the condition of the receptors and moving up
towards potential sources, hence considering immediate concerns to those which
may become apparent in the future;
inform stakeholders of the Councils intentions;
provide information to the Environment Agency for its report on
contaminated land.
The councils priorities in dealing with contaminated land will be to:

i)
protect human health
ii)
protect controlled waters
iii)
protect designated ecosystems
iv)
prevent damage to property
v)
prevent further contamination of land
vi)
encourage voluntary remediation
vii)
encourage re-use of brownfield land
A map - based land categorisation and prioritisation method has been developed at
the strategy stage to enable the identification of minimum information requirements
and the prioritisation of sites to be inspected in more detail.
A programme of inspection over the period 2001 to 2010 has been set out and
procedures identified which take into account information supplied by the public,
business or other organisations; dealing with urgent sites as they arise; and land
owned by the Council and land scheduled for development in the Councils Local
Plan.
The District Council is the lead regulator on contaminated land but, wherever
necessary, the Council will work in partnership with other organisations,
particularly the Environment Agency.
The regulations set clear criteria that must be met before land can be formally
designated as contaminated land . The Council must also maintain a public register
that must contain only certain information.
The strategy is not a static document but subject to continual review. An annual
review process commencing in September 2001 is proposed.
1. INTRODUCTION
Under new regulations that came into force on 1st April 2000 (Part IIA of Environmental
Protection Act 1990) South Norfolk District Council is required to inspect land in its district
from time to time for the purpose of identifying contaminated land.
The Secretary of State has issued statutory guidance to local authorities on the implementation
of Part IIA in England. The Statutory Guidance requires local authorities to take a strategic
approach in inspecting their areas and to decide and publish this in a written strategy. This
document details how South Norfolk District Council will undertake this inspection.
1.1.
General policy of South Norfolk District Council
The UK has established a policy and legal framework aimed at minimizing the future
incidence of contaminated land; ensuring appropriate action is taken to deal with existing
contamination where it poses unacceptable risks to health and the environment; and
encouraging the reclamation and recycling of brown field land for beneficial use.
In the context of sustainable development, environmental and economic policy areas are key
considerations in developing this Inspection Statutory because they:
ensure unacceptable risks to human health and the environment are reviewed; ensuring a
cleaner and healthier environment for local people and wildlife;
encourage the prudent use of land and social resources;
ensure that the cost burdens of undertaking remediation are proportionate, manageable and
economically sustainable
Land contamination can take a variety of forms and occur in a variety of places. A variety of
people and organizations are therefore likely to take an interest in a contaminated site, whether
contamination has been proven or is suspected.
South Norfolk District Council recognizes that decisions about contaminated land are not made
on a purely technical basis. There will be a variety of regulatory, commercial, financial, legal
and social factors, which also affect how particular contaminated land issues should be
addressed. The Council also recognizes that, as with its approach to local government in
general, it is important that decisions about contaminated land are defensible and transparent.
This document is therefore presented as a consultation draft and made available both in hard
copy and on the Councils web site to all groups of people (stake holders) who have an interest
in a contaminated land strategy for the district. Comments received will be considered before
the strategy is finalized and submitted to the Environment Agency.
1.2.
Regulatory Context
The governments main policy statement on contaminated land has been a DOE/Welsh office
paper Framework for Contaminated Land issued in November 1994 which took into account
public responses to an interim consultation paper Paying for our Past published in March
1994.
UK policy on land contamination as set out in the Framework, as well as emphasizing the
governments commitment to the environmental principles of sustainable development and the
polluter pays, requires that existing contamination which poses threats to health or
environment is controlled and treated within the suitable for use approach.
The policies in the framework have been implemented primarily through the introduction of the
new contaminated land regime which came into force on 1st April 2000. The statutory basis of
the regime is to be found in Part of IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (which was
inserted by the Environment Act 1995). Various provisions of the Act have been in force since
the end of July 1995 allowing the Secretary of State to make the all important guidelines which
gives affect to the regime. The guidelines are contained in Annex 3 of DETR Circular 02/2000:
Contaminated Land
It is the introduction of this new regulatory regime generally referred to as the Part IIA regime
that has prompted the production of this strategy document.
1.2.1
Regulatory role of local authorities under Part IIA
The primary regulatory role under the Part IIA regime rests with local authorities. Local
authorities have historically had responsibilities for dealing with any statutory nuisance caused
by land contamination and are the lead authorities on land use planning.
The local authority has a duty under Part IIA to:
cause their areas to be to be inspected from time to time to identify whether any land
appears to be contaminated land;
determine whether any particular site meets the statutory definition of contaminated land;
act as the enforcing authority for all contaminated land, unless the land is required to be
designated as a special site under the Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000, in
which case the Environment Agency will act as the enforcing authority. Appendix 4
contains an extract of the Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000 containing the
definitions of a special site.
ensure that contaminated land is remediated, and
maintain a register of contaminated land in the district of South Norfolk.
1.2.2
Regulatory role of the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency has four principal roles with respect to contaminated land under Part
IIA. These are to:
assist local authorities in identifying contaminated land particularly where water
pollution is involved;
provide site specific guidance to local authorities on contaminated land;
act as the enforcing authority for any land designated as a special site, and;
publish periodic reports on the state of contaminated land nationally.
If land is contaminated and falls within one of the descriptions set out in the Contaminated
Land (England) Regulations 2000 it must be designated as a special site. The descriptions of
land do not imply that land of that type is more likely to constitute contaminated land, only that
if the land is contaminated land, the Environment Agency is best placed to be the enforcing
authority. The Regulations also ensure that the Environment Agency becomes the enforcing
authority in three types of case where contaminated land is affecting controlled waters and their
quality, and where the Environment Agency will also have other concerns under the legislation.
The three cases are wholesomeness of drinking water; surface water classification criteria; and
cases where particularly difficult pollutants are affecting major aquifers.
Pollution of controlled waters is to a large extent already regulated by the Water Resources Act
1991, which gives the Environment Agency the power to serve a works notice where pollution
of controlled waters is occurring. However the approach under the regime is to be preferred to
the service of a works notice. To prevent the overlap of jurisdiction between the two Acts, local
authorities are required to liaise with the Environment Agency where pollution of controlled
waters is occurring, or is likely to occur.
Pollution of controlled waters is defined in section 78A(9) of Part IIA as the entry into
controlled waters of any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter or any solid waste matter
For the purpose of the contaminated land regime, entry of pollution into controlled waters takes
place where a contaminant is dissolved, or suspended, in controlled waters, immiscible or has
direct contact with those waters, on or beneath the surface of the water.
Local authorities are warned, however, that land should not be designated as contaminated land
solely on the basis that the substances are already present in controlled waters, where entry of
the substances has ceased, and it is not likely that further entry will take place.
1.2.3
Definition of Contaminated Land under Part IIA
In the context of existing threats to health or the environment, and where planning or other
environmental protection legislation does not apply, contaminated land is specifically defined in
Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as:
any land, which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated to be in such
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).
Pollution of controlled water is being or is likely to be caused.
Where harm is defined as:

Harm to the health of living organisms or other interference with the ecological systems of
which they form a part, and in the case of man includes harm to his property.
Section 78A (5) requires the enforcing authority to act in accordance with guidance issued by
the Secretary of State in determining significance and likelihood.
1.2.4
Risk based approach
Use of a risk-based approach requires recognition of three main components:

the source: i.e. the hazardous substances on, in or under the ground
the receptor [or target] i.e. the specified entity which is vulnerable, or could be vulnerable, to
the adverse effects of the hazardous substances
the pathway i.e. the means by which a hazardous substance is able to come into contact with a
receptor.
On any individual site there may be one or more of each of these components. However, all
three must be present with a clear relationship or linkage between them, for a risk to exist. The
degree of risk and whether it is sufficiently serious to warrant action depends primarily on the
nature of the relationship between these components.
In the context of the Statutory Guidance for Part IIA a source-pathway-receptor relationship is
termed a pollutant linkage.
A risk based suitable for use approach using the concept of source-pathway-receptor
relationships reflects UK Government policy on contaminated land. Under the town and
country planning and building control legislative regimes, risk assessment is based on suitable
for next use (e.g. a change from industrial to residential and therefore a change in receptors).
Under the new contaminated land legislative regime, and the statutory definition of
contaminated land, the risk assessment is based on suitable for current use.
The receptors recognised as being potentially sensitive in Part IIA are:
Human Beings
Ecological Systems or Living Organisms forming part of a System within certain

Protected Locations, including: Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature
Reserves (NNR), Nature Reserves, Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special
Protection Areas (SPA), Candidate SACs, RAMSAR sites, Areas of special protection for
birds.
Property in the Form of Buildings, including Ancient Monuments:
Property in other Forms: Crops, Livestock, Home-grown produce, Owned or
domesticated animals, wild animals subject to shooting or fishing rights; and
Controlled Waters: Surface waters (e.g. rivers, lakes, streams), Drinking water
abstractions, Source protection zones, Groundwaters.
In the event that a plausible pollutant linkage is identified and that significant harm is being
caused to a receptor or that risk assessment indicates there is a significant possibility of such
harm occurring or that pollution controlled waters is, or is likely to occur, only then can an area
of land be designated as statutory contaminated land.
If an area of statutory contaminated land has been identified, the approach for dealing with it
will be the same regardless of whether the local authority or the Environment Agency is the
enforcing authority. There are four main stages to this approach.
1. To establish who is the appropriate person to bear responsibility for the remediation (or
clean-up) of the land.
2. To decide what remediation is required and to ensure that this occurs, through: Reaching a
voluntary agreement. Serving a remediation notice, if agreement cannot be reached.
Carrying out work themselves, in certain circumstances.
3. To determine who should bear what proportion of the liability for meeting the costs of the
work.
4. To record certain information about regulatory action on a public register.
1.2.5
Requirements for Strategic Approach
All local authorities are required to take a strategic approach to the identification of land in their
area which merits detailed individual inspection. The Statutory Guidance requires that the
approach adopted should:

be rational, ordered and efficient;
be proportionate to the seriousness of any actual or potential risk.
seek to ensure that the most pressing problems are located first.
ensure that resources are concentrated on investigating areas where the authority is most
likely to identify contaminated land and;
ensure that the local authority efficiently identifies requirements for the detailed inspection
of particular areas of land.
1.3.
Development of the Strategy
This strategy has been developed with particular reference to Contaminated Land Inspection
Strategies Technical Advice for Local Authorities issued by the Department of the
Environment, Transport and the Regions and has adopted the following approach:
1. Identification of lead department within the Council for the purpose of the strategy and how
each individual department with an interest in, or input into, the inspection strategy will
liaise with each other.
2. Drafting of a questionnaire for circulation to each of the identified Council departments
covering such aspects as: types of data required and current availability; current data
management and data quality; external contacts and contamination and redevelopment
history.
3. Assimilation of questionnaire responses followed by a data audit to identify and adopt an
initial information gathering strategy as well as identifying an information gathering
strategy for further development during the implementation phase.
4. Preparation of a draft strategy for internal comment by officers from Environmental Health
and Leisure, Treasurers Department (Information Technology/Information Services)
,Central Services (Land Charges and Property Management) and Planning.
5. Submission of the consultation draft for approval by the Councils Policy Development
Panel.
6. Invitation of comments on the consultation drafts from formal and informal consultees.
7. Submission of a final version of the strategy to the Environment Agency.
1.4.
Objectives of the Strategy
The fact that a potentially harmful substance is present (in terms of harm to human health, to
eco-systems or to property) in, on or under a piece of land does not itself mean that land is
contaminated land. The source of harm may be present but unless a possible route (plausible
pollutant linkage) exists through which it is likely to cause harm to health, eco-systems or
property or to cause pollution of controlled waters, the land is not contaminated within the
meaning of the Act.
Prioritisation is therefore key. Former site uses will need to be taken into account as will the
local geological and hydrogeological conditions but it is the identification of vulnerable
receptors and plausible pollutant linkages which will drive the process.
The principle objectives of the strategy are therefore:

To meet the statutory requirements to produce a strategy;
To use the source-pathway-receptor model as an indication of plausible pollutant linkages,

reviewing the condition of the receptors and moving up towards potential sources, hence
considering immediate concerns to those which may become apparent in the future;
To inform stakeholders of the Councils intentions; and
To provide information to the Environment Agency for its report on contaminated land.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT

The purpose of this section is to provide the background to South Norfolk District Councils
area and how that influences the Councils approach to inspection for contaminated land. It
will also enable fair comparison with other authorities.
2.1.
Geographical Location
South Norfolk District occupies the south eastern part of the county of Norfolk bordered by
other parts of the county to the north and west and Suffolk to the south, as shown on Figure 1.
From some 5km west of Diss to its confluence with the River Yare at Breydon Water, the River
Waveney forms the southern boundary of the district. The city of Norwich, which is the
regional centre, adjoins the District to the north with the District Boundary west of Norwich
marked by the River Wensum and to the south and east of Norwich by the River Yare.
2.2.
Brief description
At between 60m and 70m above sea level the central western boundary of the District south of
Wymondham represents the highest part of the area with a general reduction in elevation
towards the east and the marshes at sea level adjoining the lower reaches of the River Yare and
River Waveney.
A gently undulating landscape still dominated by agriculture in terms of land use, however only
a small percentage of people are now directly employed in that industry. South Norfolk has a
diverse range of industries and commercial concerns centered in a rural area of market towns
and villages.
Major trunk roads cross the district, providing good access to London, the Midlands and the
East Coast ports. Two major rail routes traverse the district, which are the electrified line
between London and Norwich and the cross country route between Norwich and Ely.
2.3.
Historical Development
There is some evidence that South Norfolk was populated during the pre-Roman times. The
valley of the River Tas was of great importance during pre-historic times and a major
monument existed at Arminghall. Another example of these early times is a primitive field
system near Dickleburgh, which is believed to pre-date the Romans. Pre-historic flint tools have
been found at Caistor.
There is considerable evidence that the Romans settled in South Norfolk. Caistor Roman Town
was a significant fortified settlement on the banks of the River Tas, south of the city of
Figure 1. Location of South Norfolk and Neighbouring Districts
COUNTY
OF
NORFOLK
COUNTY
OF
LINCOLNSHIRE
BROADLAND
DISTRICT
GREAT
YARMOUTH
DISTRICT
NORWICH
BRECKLAND
DISTRICT
SOUTH
NORFOLK
DISTRICT
WAVENEY
DISTRICT
COUNTY
OF
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Figure 1
Location of
South Norfolk
and
Neighbouring
Districts
MID SUFFOLK
DISTRICT
COUNTY
OF
SUFFOLK
N
1:500000
Digital data reproduced

with permission of the
Environment Agency and
Ordnance Survey, 2000
Map produced by Stanger
Science and Environment
for South Norfolk District Council,
2001
Norwich, which did not then exist. The surviving walls and below ground features can be
clearly seen at the site, which is owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust. Scole, in the
south of the District, was also settled by the Romans and archaeological finds have included
the remains of a 1,900-year old Roman-Celtic temple and evidence of a considerable settlement
on the banks of the River Waveney. Stoke Holy Cross is known to have been the site of a
Roman Camp.
The Saxon period was a time of growth and wealth for the area. The Saxons built many fine
round-towered churches which are a distinctive feature of South Norfolk. Some of the finest
examples are at Thurton, Hales, Wortwell, the ruined church at Saxlingham and Carleton Rode
Baptist Church.
Wymondham Abbey is the most significant legacy left by the Normans this is the most
important ecclesiastical building in South Norfolk. Hales church is another fine example of
Norman architecture.
The medieval period saw the building of some of our great manor houses. The are several
examples in the District the finest of which is Rainthorpe Hall.
The period from the 15th to the 17th century was one of development, particularly of agriculture.
There is a great wealth of yeomans farmhouses and timber-framed barns. The finest example
of these is Hales Barn. Buildings from this period were constructed of wattle and daub over
timber frames; these buildings are a regional characteristic. The ancient market towns of South
Norfolk were established during this time; Diss and Wymondham were both important trading
centres. The 17th century Market Cross at Wymondham and the Dolphin House at Diss are both
notable architectural features of these market towns.
The 18th and 19th centuries were a period of agricultural reform and of unprecedented
population growth. New building materials were introduced into the region and some fine brick
and stone buildings of the period remain. The red brick coaching inn at Scole (formerly the
White Hart) is a good example. The market towns thrived and prospered during this period.
Hingham is a good example where the best collection of Georgian houses in the district
surrounds the green. Other buildings which portray the social and economic conditions of the
time are the 19th century Corn Hall at Diss and the workhouses at Pulham. Mills from this
period are a significant landscape feature good examples can be seen at Billingford and
Wicklewood. In more recent times, the economy of South Norfolk has become much more
broadly based, and no longer relies entirely upon agriculture. With the building of the railways,
social conditions changed, and people became more mobile and adaptable.
During the period since World War Two, South Norfolk has seen great changes. There was an
explosion of social housing reform during the great post-war building period. There are
nationally important examples of such houses in the Loddon area, designed by the architects
Tayler & Green.
10
2.4.
Size
South Norfolk District covers an area of 350 square miles or 906 square kilometres and
comprises 118 parishes.
2.5.
Population Distribution
In 1997 the population of the District was estimated at 105,000. South Norfolk District may be
subdivided into three areas of broadly similar geographical extent, the North West, East and
South West areas based on groups of parishes.
Centres of population in the District with more than 2000 inhabitants are as follows.
North West Area
Location
Wymondham
New Cotessey
Hethersett
Mulbarton
Cringleford
Hingham
Population
12,010
9,905
5,385
2,930
2,145
2,080
East Area
Location
Poringland
Loddon
Population
3,295
2,390
South West Area
Location
Diss
Harleston
Long Stratton
Roydon
Population
6,640
4,130
3,310
2,240
More than 40% of the inhabitants of the District live in these centres of population.
Land defined as predominately in urban use by the Planning Department and with a population
of less than 2000 in each of the three areas are:
North West Area
Barford, Barnham Broom, Cottessey, Easton, Little Melton,

Newton Flotman, Saxlingham Nethergate, Swainsthorpe,
Swardeston.
East Area
Brooke, Burgh St. Peter, Ditchingham, Framingham

Earl,Geldeston, Gillingham, Haddiscoe, Hales, Kirby Row, Low
Thurlton, Norton Subcourse, Rockland St. Mary, Seething, Stoke
Holy Cross, Surlingham, Thurlton, Thurton, Topcroft Street,
Trowse with Newton, West Porlingland, Woodton
11
Figure 2. Main Settlements in South Norfolk
Costessey
#
#
Hingham
#
#
Cringleford
Hethersett
Wymondham
Poringland
Mulbarton
Loddon
Long Stratton
Figure 2
Main Settlements in
South Norfolk
#
Roydon
Harleston
2000 - 4000
4000 - 7000
7000 - 12000
Diss
South Norfolk District Boundary
1:150000
Science and Environment for
South Norfolk District Council, 2001
Settlement
(Population)
12
South West Area
2.6.
Alburgh Street, Ashwellthorpe, Brockdish, Bunwell Street,
Dickleburgh, Earsham, Forncett End, Fritton, Hempnall,
Needham, Pulham Market, Pulham St. Mary, Scole, Thorpe
Abbotts, Tivetshall St. Mary
Land owned by the District Council
Approximately 900 title deeds are held covering both current and former District Council
owned land. The current and former site ownership plans are in the process of being digitised
so that an electronic version can be incorporated into the Councils geographical information
system and appropriate spatial queries made on the data.
2.7.
Current Land Use Characteristics
South Norfolk is an economy of roughly two parts. To the north, the district is heavily
influenced by the City of Norwich, where many residents are employed. To the south, the
economy is more localised. The districts land use is still devoted mainly to agriculture, but this
sector is no longer significant in terms of employment, employing no more than 8% of the
Districts workforce.
2.8.
Protected Locations
South Norfolk contains 26 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). These sites are the best
example of the national natural heritage of wildlife habitats, geological features and landforms.
The 26 SSSIs in South Norfolk cover a diversity of sites ranging from deciduous woodlands
and commons, to river valley meadows. Four of them are identified as being wetland sites of
international importance (RAMSAR sites, named after the city in Iran where the convention
was signed) which are also classified as Special Protection Areas under the European
Community Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. These four areas are Surlingham and
Rockland Broads in the Yare Valley; Hardley Flood, east of Chedgrave; and in the Waveney
Valley the Geldeston Meadows and the Stanley and Alder Carrs at Aldeby.
The areas designated as SSSIs are shown on Figure 3, with the majority located in the eastern
part of the District east of the A140.
2.9.
Key Property Types
The District has over 3000 Listed Buildings, ** Ancient Monuments and ** designated
Conservation Areas.
13
Figure 3. Areas of Known Ecological Importance
Figure 3
Areas of Known
Ecological Importance
Ancient Woodland
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
N
1:150000
2001
14
2.10. Key Water Resource/Protection Issues

Anglian Water supply the majority of the Districts drinking water from abstraction boreholes
in the chalk aquifer.
The Environment Agency has subdivided groundwater source catchments into four zones
known as Groundwater Source Protection Zones as follows:
Zone I (Inner Protection Zone) - This zone is defined by a travel time of 50-days or
less from any point within the zone at, or below, the water table. Additionally, the zone
has as a minimum a 50-metre radius. It is based principally on biological decay criteria
and is designed to protect against the transmission of toxic chemicals and water-borne
disease.
Zone II (Outer Protection Zone) - This zone is defined by the 400-day travel time, or
25% of the source catchment area, whichever is larger. The travel time is derived from
consideration of the minimum time required to provide delay, dilution and attenuation of
slowly degrading pollutants.
Zone III (Total catchment) - This zone is defined as the total area needed to support
the abstraction or discharge from the protected groundwater source.
Zone of Special Interest - For some groundwater sources an additional "Zone of
Special Interest" may be defined. These zones highlight areas (mainly on non-aquifers)
where known local conditions mean that potentially polluting activities could impact on
a groundwater source even though the area is outside the normal catchment of that
source.
A map showing the location and extent of the Groundwater Source Protection Zones can
currently be viewed on the Environment Agencies web-site. There are a number of Source
Protection Zones that are either in South Norfolk or extend into the district. These are as
follows:
Abstraction point
Map reference
Bunwell
TM 1400 9120
Caistor St Edmund
TG 2390 0460
Diss
TM 1130 8040
Rushall
TL 1980 8340
Stoke Holy Cross
TG 2274 0269
15
Tivetshall
TM 1580 8820
Trowse Newton
TG 2411 0606
Billingford
TM 1769 7890
Broom Common A
TM 3560 9149
Broom Common B
TM 3558 9158
Kirby Cane
TM 3770 9260
The District Council regularly inspects the quality of 448 private drinking water supplies in its
area.
Environment Agency Registered Pollution Incidents over the period 1998 to 1999 are shown on
Figure 4 together with the principal surface water drainage features of the District.
2.11. Known Information on Contamination

The Council holds some information on sources of potential contamination from the following
areas; submissions as part of the development control process; complaints from the public;
some premises subject to local air pollution control (eg. the unloading of petrol into storage at a
service station); records on filled and possible filled sites; and potentially polluted sites based
on the local knowledge of the Districts officers. Figure 5 shows the Districts known
information on potentially contaminated sources. It should be noted that whilst Figure 5
includes licensed landfills within 1km of the SNDC boundary in the interest of completeness,
the Part IIA regieme will not normally apply to licensed sites as any pollution problems would
normally be enforced through a condition attached to the site licence.
2.12. Current and Past Industrial History

The principal industry of the District in terms of land use is agriculture with the population of
the District concentrated in a number of market towns which have developed localised
manufacturing operations. Town gas works were developed in Diss, Harleston and
Wymondham. A feature of the twentieth century was the number of airfields located in the
District over the period 1941 to 1962.
16
Figure 4. Environment Agency Registered Pollution Incidents and Principal Water Drainage Features
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Figure 4
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Environment Agency Registered

Pollution Incidents and
Principal Surface Water
Drainage Features
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Environment Agency Registered

Pollution Incidents (1998-1999)
1:150000
2001
17
Figure 5. Known Information on Potential Contamination Sources
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Figure 5
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Known Information on
Potential Contamination Sources
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SNDC Recorded Filled Sites
EA Recorded Sites
EA Licensed Landfills within 1km

of SNDC Boundary
1:150000
2001
18
The district's employers number over 3,000 with more than 75% employing 5 or less and only a
handful of large manufacturing operations. The larger operations include sports car
manufacturing east of Wymondham and engineering and electronics companies in Diss and
Harleston. Smaller scale engineering activities are present in Cotessey and Loddon, with boat
building and letting yards also located in Loddon.
Given the wealth of agricultural primary procedure, food-processing activities also features
strongly. There are many small firms involved in all aspects of food processing, with some of
the larger ones based in Little Melton and Harleston.
2.12.1 Agricultural Development
By the late Middle Ages the Norwich area was one of major textile regions of England and the
development reflected a general change from the export of wool to the export of cloth,
particularly after Flemish weavers were allowed to settle in the mid fourteenth century. This
was the age of the great wool churches of East Anglia.
The period 1550 to 1750 was one of considerable agricultural innovations. Enclosure of land
had been a continuous process over a long period of time but this accelerated in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries. Some areas of open field survived until the Parliamentary
Enclosures Act of 1760 to 1815.
Three types of farming land developed in the region over the period 1640 to 1750 associated
with the characteristics of the soil, and its drainage. The strong loamy soils of the District led to
wood-pasture country. This had more wood and more enclosure, with cattle, not sheep, when
compared with the sandy and light loamy soils of adjoining districts (sheep-corn country).
Marshland represented the third farming area.
With the droving of cattle in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the region became a
cattle-fattening area. One of the main drove routes ran from Norwich through Long Stratton or
Bungay and Harleston to Hoxne/ Scole; and then to Pakenham, Bury St Edmunds and through
Essex to London.
2.12.2 Military Development
At the all time peak in 1945 Norfolk had the second highest proportionate area of land under
airfields (2.1.%); Suffolk having the highest at 2.4%.
The most common layout was three strips mutually disposed at 60 degrees and linked by a taxitrack with dispersal bays. The average size of a paved aerodrome in the UK in 1945 was 272
hectares, including dispersed campsites.
The importance of subdued relief (the maximum acceptable longitudinal gradient for a main
land runway in wartime was 1 in 80) and proximity to continental Europe meant that during the
Second World War the District had a very large number of airfields. Some of these are still in
use today for recreational purposes.
None of the RAF airfields were actually operational; RAF Pulham was a Maintenance Unit and
19
RAF Stoke Holy Cross was a Radar Station. The airfields at Shotesham, Surlingham,
Bramerton and Burgh St. Peter were Decoy Bases. The area near RAF Burgh St. Peter (the
marshes at Burgh St. Peter, Haddiscoe and Aldeby) was the most heavily bombed part of South
Norfolk.
On the other hand the USAF had a number of bases in the District from which many bomber
sorties were mounted. The seven airfields which wholly or mainly lie within South Norfolk and
their current status are summarised below:
Table 1. Former USAF Airfields within South Norfolk District
Airfield
Deopham Green
(NGR TM035995)
Fersfield
(NGR TM085855)
Hardwick
(NGR TM25905)
Hethel
(NGR TM155005)
Seething
(NGR TM318958)
Thorpe Abbotts
(NGR TM185805)
Tibenham
(NGR TM145890)
Operational Life
1942-1945,
abandoned 1948.
1943-1945,
subsequently sold.
1941-1962,
RAF control 1945 onwards,
sold 1962.
1942-1948,
RAF control 1945 to 1948, sold
1964.
1943-1959,
Sold 1959.
1943-1945,
closed 1956.
1942-1959,
Part sold in 1952,
Runway extension 1955,
Sold 1964.
Present features
Extensive remains of all 3 runways, part is a public
road.
Significant lengths of all three runway remains.
Parts of the runways and perimeter track. Museum
and memorial on the site.
Sold to Lotus Car Company 1964, factory and test
track on parts of the runways.
The Waveney Flying Group operate light aircraft
using part of the former main runway.
Only small parts of runway remain. Control tower
restored and contains museum.
The Norfolk Gliding Club use parts of the remaining
runways.
Between 1959 and 1979 the Ministry of Defence sold the following Royal Observer Corp posts
within the District: Aldeby, Diss, Framingham Earl, Harleston, Hellesdon, Hingham, Loddon,
Long Stratton, Wymondham. Cringleford RAF married quarters and The Diss Air Training
Corps Unit were also sold in this period.
Land currently owned by the Ministry Defence within the District comprises Stoke Holy Cross
RAF Radio Site.
2.13. Geological Characteristics

The present surface expression and land use of the District is in part a response to rock type and
as such, some aspects of geological and structural history are relevant.
The primary structural unit providing the foundation of eastern England is the Anglo-Brabant
massif. Beneath most of Norfolk this ancient block of Lower Paleozoic rocks is overlain by
Jurassic and Cretaceous strata which in Norfolk now dip gently south east and east at very low
angles with a minimum of flexuring and faulting.
20
The oldest strata that appear at the surface in the District belong to the Cretaceous system. The
geological conditions of the district have been assessed from the following British Geological
Survey 1:50,000 Solid and Drift maps, Sheet 161 Norwich; Sheet 162 Great Yarmouth; Sheet
175 Diss and Sheet 176 Lowestoft.
A summary of the geological sequence is shown in Table 2 below; with the youngest Age
(Holocene) at the top.
Table 2. Geological Sequence of the District
Period
Quaternary
Age
Holocene
Geological Unit
Alluvium
Pleistocene
River Terrace Deposits

Glacial Sand and Gravel
Glacial Till
Kesgrave Sands and Gravels
Norwich Crag
Tertiary
Eocene
Mesozoic
Cretaceous
London Clay
(Thames Group)
Reading beds
(Lambeth group)
Upper Chalk
Characteristics
Soft clays, sand, silt and
peat.
Sand and gravel, locally
clayey.
Sand and gravel, locally
clayey
Stiff, chalky, pebbly
sandy clay.
Sand and gravel.
Sands and gravels, shelly
sands.
Stiff, blue-grey clays,
sandy at base.
Stiff, mottled clay.
Fine grained fissured
white limestone with
bands of flint nodules.
On account of its great thickness (attaining a maximum thickness of approximately 400m in

Norfolk), and its regular lateral extent, the Chalk is the dominant formation in the area. The
Chalk dips eastward at less than 1 degree and thickens in the same direction. It is covered by
thick Pleistocene and, in the east of the District, Eocene deposits. As such, the Chalk only
outcrops in the District on the sides of the River Yare south and west of Norwich and along the
River Tas.
After a long period of steady subsidence during which the Chalk was deposited the whole area
was raised as a land-mass and acted upon by the agents of erosion; it was also subject to gentle
tilting at this time. Eventually, the southeastern part of England was invaded by a sea which
laid down some of the earliest deposits of the Tertiary period. Within the District the Eocene
deposits are present overlying the Chalk broadly east of a line from Claxton in the north, to
Mundham and Ellingham on the Waveney valley in the south. These strata are overlain by later
deposits and are not exposed at the surface within the District.
Following partial submergence of the eastern part of the District beneath a precursor of the
present North Sea, the next series of marine deposits were laid down in the early Pleistocene.
These deposits, consisting chiefly of shelly sands, pebbly gravels and sands, extend over the
eastern parts of the District, and the term Crag, a word used locally for any shelly sand, is
21
currently employed to denote them. Norwich Crag is present beneath the District east of the
Norwich-Diss railway line but is only exposed at the surface on the eastern side of the Tas
Valley at Stoke Holy Cross and along the Yare Valley to the west and south east of Norwich.
Terrestrial sedimentation in the Middle Pleistocene is represented by the Kesgrave Formation of
the Thames and deposits of its tributary rivers.
The region experienced glaciation on at least two occasions, during the Anglian and Late
Devensian. During the Anglian, the Lowestoft Formation (chalky, pebbly, sandy clay (till) and
sands and gravels) was deposited by British-based glaciers and the North Sea Drift Formation
by a Scandinavian ice-sheet that impinged upon parts of northeast Norfolk, in land as far as
Diss.
Evidence of fluvial activity is significant with major re-organisation of the drainage system as a
result of glaciation during the Anglian.
Glaciofluvial gravels overlie the till in many places, as for example, along the Yare valley, the
Wensum and some of its tributaries.
The later Middle Pleistocene is known from numerous localities where temperate-phase organic
sequences have been identified as for example, at Dunston Common or Barford, where a deep
channel cut into the Chalk to 35m below sea level has been infilled with chalky till on which
rests extensive organic clays up to 9m thick.
Fluvial deposition during the later Middle and Late Pleistocene produced extensive sand and
gravel river terrace deposits along the major valleys under a cold climate.
Within the last 10,000 years and primarily in response to rising sea levels since the last
glaciation, alluvial deposits of sand, silt, clay and peat have accumulated in the lower reaches of
the Yare and Waveney valleys, creating extensive areas of poorly drained marshland. During
medieval times broads were excavated for their peat and later flooded. Two such areas are
located within the district on the right bank of the River Yare - Surlingham Broad and Rockland
Broad.
The two principal factors in the Quarternary history of the district were climatic oscillations and
associated changes in sea level. Deposits from the period are seen now as a mantle of clays,
sands and gravels and, locally, peat and it is to these that the aspect and agricultural characters
of the land are mostly due.
22
2.14. Hydrological Characteristics

The District is characterised by an eastward flowing surface drainage system which combines at
what is almost the Districts most easterly point, the entrance to Breydon Water.
The River Wensum, west of Norwich, and the River Yare, south and east of Norwich, mark the
Districts northern boundary. The River Tud runs parallel with, and to the north of, the A47 in
the northern tip of the District before joining the Wensum to the east of New Cotessey.
Three named right banks tributaries join the River Yare as it passes along the northern
boundary of the District the north-northeasterly flowing River Tiffey which passes through
Wymondham before joining the Yare at Barford; the north-northeasterly flowing River Tas
which drains the central area of the District around Long Stratton and joins the Yare at Trowse
Newton; and the eastward flowing River Chet which joins the Yare east of Loddon.
Along the southern boundary of the District the River Waveney, flowing east-northeast, has
created a steep-sided, flat floored and somewhat sinuous valley through glacial deposits
between Diss and Bungay. Westward of Diss the valley merges with that of the Little Ouse
River. Both rivers now rise in the peat of Redgrave Fen at about 25m above sea level, but flow
in opposite directions.
Only one named left bank tributary joins the River Waveney as it passes along the Districts
southern and eastern boundaries Broome Beck, which joins the Waveney between Broome
and Ellingham.
The River Yare is tidal below its confluence with the River Tas at Trowse Newton. The River
Waveney is tidal below Benstead Marshes, just after the confluence of Broome Beck. The
River Chet is also tidal below Loddon.
The principal surface water drainage features are shown on Figure 4.
2.15. Hydrogeology
The hydrogeological conditions of the District have been assessed from the British Geological
Survey 1:125,000 scale hydrogeological maps of Northern and Southern East Anglia together
with relevant Environment Agency Groundwater Vulnerability Maps (sheets 26 and 33,
1:100,000 scale), and the Environment Agency Policy and Practice for the Protection of
Groundwater Anglian Regional Appendix.
23
A summary of the hydrogeological features of strata within the District is shown below
Table 3. Hydrogeological Features of the District
Strata type
Hydrogeological Characteristics
Flow Mechanism
Alluvium
Floors the main valleys, variable thickness; peat has

suffered saline intrusion in the tidal reaches of the
Yare and Waveney.
Occurs sporadically in the river valleys, notably the
Wensum and Waveney. Water saline in the lower
reaches of the Yare and Waveney and in the adjoining
marshlands.
Occurs as masses within and beneath the Glacial Till
and in places above it. Small yields have been
obtained from Glacial Sands overlying Crag.
Chalky boulder clay is the predominant
type of till, commonly 30 to 50m thick and covering
large areas of the District; limits infiltration into the
Crag and chalk aquifers. Doesnt yield much water
but small supplies may be obtained from interbedded
sands.
Interbedded sands and gravels and shelly sands,
present in the District east of the A140; dips and
thickens generally eastward reaching a thickness of
70m at the coast but only exposed in main valleys.
West of Eocene base Crag and Chalk in continuity.
Blue-grey clays sandy at base, present in the District
east of line joining Claxton, Mundham and Ellingham
dipping and thickening eastwards reaching a thickness
of 95m at Great Yarmouth. Not exposed at surface
and essentially non-water bearing.
Mottled clays, present in the District east of a line
joining Claxton, Mundham and Ellingham. Not
exposed at surface and essentially non-water bearing.
Fine grained fissured white limestone with bands of
flint nodules, the principal aquifer of Norfolk.
Covered by thick Pleistocene deposits and in the east
of the District, Eocene deposits. Chalk surface
dissected by buried channels cut by sub-glacial
streams and infilled with Pleistocene deposits.
Exposed only major valleys in the District. Most
water boreholes exploit the top 30 to 60m of the
Chalk.
Intergranular
Geological
Classification
Minor Aquifer
Intergranular
Minor Aquifer
Intergranular
Minor Aquifer
Varied
Minor Aquifer
Predominantly
intergranular
Major Aquifer
Predominantly
intergranular
Non Aquifer
Intergranular
Non Aquifer
Fissure
Major Aquifer
River Terrace
Gravels
Glacial Sands
and Gravels
Glacial Till
Crag
London Clay
(Thames
Group)
Reading Beds
(Lambeth
Group)
Upper Chalk
The Upper Chalk is an aquifer of regional importance. The Chalk water table reflects surface
topography in a modified form and is at greatest depth below high ground. Beneath thick
deposits of glacial till the Chalk groundwater is confined under pressure. Artesian flow, often
seasonal, has been recorded in a number of localities in the Wensum valley and the Tas valley.
In the western part of the District beneath the higher ground between Wymondham and Diss (at
some 65m to 75m above sea level), the ground water level in the Chalk is at approximately 40m
24
Figure 6. Groundwater Vulnerability
Figure 6
Groundwater Vulnerability
Vulnerability Classification
Major High
Major Intermediate
Major Low
Minor High
Minor Intermediate
Minor Low
N
1:150000
Science and Environment for
South Norfolk District Council, 2001
25
Figure 7. Groundwater Vulnerability (Drift) and Principal Surface Water Drainage Features
River Wensum
River Tud
River Yare
River Tiffey
River Yare
River Tas
River Chet
River Waveney
Figure 7
Broome Beck
(Drift) and Principal
Surface Water Drainage Features
Main Rivers
(Drift Cover to the Major Aquifer)
River Waveney
1:150000
2001
26
above sea level. From here the water level reduces in elevation in a generally easterly direction
until it is at sea level (Om Ordnance Datum) along the marshes adjoining the lower reaches of
the Yare and Waveney. A groundwater vulnerability map for the District is shown on Figure 6.
This indicates almost the whole District being classified as a major aquifer overlain by soils of
high, intermediate and low leaching potential. However as indicated above and in Section 2.13
, much of the Chalk aquifer is also overlain by low permeability non-water bearing drift
deposits occurring at the surface. The groundwater vulnerability in relation to the drift deposits,
together with the principal surface water drainage features, is shown on Figure 7.
2.16. Natural Contamination

Three areas have been reviewed from existing information published by the British Geological
Survey (BGS) and in the Soil Geochemical Atlas of England and Wales. These are:
radon and background radioactivity from natural sources;
methane, carbon dioxide and oil seeps from natural sources and mining areas;
potentially harmful elements from natural sources and mining areas.
2.16.1 Radon
BGS information at 1:625,000 scale indicate that based on their classification of the underlying
rocks, the District falls within the low to moderate Radon Potential Class. The ground is
susceptible to low levels of radon emissions but with small sub-areas susceptible to moderate or
high levels of radon emissions. Less than 1% of dwellings are estimated to be exceeding the
200 Bqm3 Action level, the lowest classification class. Whilst the existing Part IIA regime does
not at present apply with respect to harm, or water pollution, which is attributable to any
radioactivity possessed by any substance, the Secretary of State does have powers to make
regulations to deal with the problem of radioactive contamination.
2.16.2 Methane, carbon dioxide and oil susceptibility
BGS information at 1:625,000 scale indicates that the district has a low susceptibility to
methane and carbon dioxide emissions and oil seeps at the surface and underground from
natural sources.
2.16.3 Soil Geochemistry
A study in the early 1980s, based on less than 2mm fraction of soils and taken from a depth of
0 to 0.15m below ground level, sampled the non-urban landscape on a 5km grid across the
country (i.e one sample every 25km2).
Within the District this indicated low concentrations of heavy metals in the soil: cadmium less
than 1mg/kg, (locally 1 to 2 mg/kg); chromium less than 150mg/kg; copper less than 50mg/kg;
lead less than 50mg/kg (locally 50 to 150 mg/kg); nickel less than 30mg/kg; and zinc less than
150mg/kg.
27
In 1995 the BGS produced maps at a scale of 1:625,000 entitled Distribution of Areas with
above National Average Background Concentrations of Potentially Harmful elements (As, Cd,
Cu, Pb and Zn). This was based on stream sediment data on either one sample per 1.6km2 or
one sample per 2.5km2. A computer procedure then classified the country in 1km grid squares
based on the highest level recorded for any grid square. The BGS data indicated the following
ranges for classification of gridded stream sediment geochemical data (mg/kg):
Table 4. Classification of Stream Sediment Geochemical Data
Element
Data set
Arsenic
Cadmium
Copper
Lead
Zinc
Wolfson
Wolfson
Wolfson
Wolfson
Wolfson
National average
Background (Bk)
<40
<2.5
<95
<60
<215
Bk-<2Bk
2Bk-<4Bk
>4Bk
40 80
2.5 7
95 190
60 165
215 380
80 190
7 14
190 380
165 370
380 810
>190
>14
>380
>370
>810
In general it was concluded that the areas of more than 4 times the upper limit of the
background value are likely to contain soil concentrations that would require further
investigation on the basis of currently accepted guideline concentrations.
The plots, however, are generalised multi element maps which must not be relied upon as a
source of detailed information about specific areas or as a substitute for appropriate assessment.
Above background concentrations are intended as a prompt to consider whether further site
specific information is required for the particular purpose. The maps merely indicate those
areas where above background levels may be expected in soils and surface waters as well as
stream sediments, they are not a guide to absolute concentrations in soil or water as influenced
by a number of factors.
Within the District four 1 kilometre squares are indicated as having more than four times the
upper limit of the background level of at least one of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc.
These were Ordnance Survey Grid Squares TM2494 (Hempnall); TM4191 (Gillingham); and
TG 3107 and 3207 (Surlingham Nature Reserve).
2.17. Redevelopment History and Controls

The District Council has a statutory duty to prepare a Local Plan for the whole of its area and
when adopted the Local Plan will form part of a Development Plan for that area. This duty is
imposed by the Town and County Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and
Corporation Act 1991. The Local Plan and County Structure Plan are the relevant parts of the
Development Plan for the majority of planning decisions.
If development is proposed on an area of land where past use may have resulted in
contamination, the Council will often request a site investigation (and remedial action if
required) as part of the planning conditions. Whilst planning records will provide a source of
information they relate to the town and country planning and building control legislative
regimes and not the new contaminated land legislative regime (ie. suitable for next use).
The development of a contaminated land inspection strategy will however assist in the
28
reparation of policies and proposals for the next Local Plan over the period 2001 to 2005.
29
3. SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL STRATEGY:

OVERALL AIMS
In developing its strategic approach, the Council has taken due regard of its local
circumstances and currently available information. This has enabled preliminary consideration
of the following aspects:

available evidence that significant harm or pollution of controlled waters is actually being
caused;
the extent to which human and ecological receptors and controlled waters are likely to be
distributed within different parts of the authoritys area;
the extent to which those receptors are likely to be exposed to a contaminant as a result of
the use of the land or the geological and hydrogeological features of the area;
the extent to which information on land contamination is already available;
the history, scale and nature of industrial and military activities which may have
contaminated the land in different parts of the District;
the nature and timing of past redevelopment in different parts of the District;
the extent to which remedial action has already been taken by the authority to deal with
land-contamination problems, or is likely to be taken as part of the Districts Local Plan and
Development Plan for its area.
This section sets out the Councils particular aims and objectives.
3.1.
Aims of the strategy
In accordance with the requirements of a strategic approach set out in Section 1.2.5 a prioritised
list of the Councils aims has been devised to aid decision-making in a cost effective manner.
The Councils priorities in dealing with contaminated land will be to:
i)
protect human health
ii)
protect controlled waters
iii)
protect designated ecosystems
iv)
prevent damage to property
v)
prevent further contamination of land
30
vi)
encourage voluntary remediation
vii)
encourage re-use of brownfield land
The list is presented in priority order and in all cases will have regard to significance and
likelihood, as required by the regulations.
3.2.
Objectives and milestones
The inspection strategy will use the source-pathway-receptor model as an indication of

plausible pollutants linkages, reviewing the condition of the receptors and moving up towards
potential sources, hence considering immediate concerns to those which may become apparent
in the future.
A map-based land categorisation and prioritisation method using a receptor source proximity
relative risk model has been developed at the strategy stage to enable the identification of
minimum information requirements. These requirements are:

Current land use plans
Locations of current and former landfills and other areas of filled ground
Locations of groundwater abstraction wells, both public and private
Current surface water classification under the Environment Agencys General Quality
Assessment Chemical Grading for Rivers and Canals Scheme and the river ecosystem
classification under the Surface Waters (River Ecosystem Classification) Regulations 1994.
Location of statutory and non-statutory sites of ecological importance
Potential sources of contamination based on the industries listed in the DOE Industry
Profiles.
The current and historical locations of these industries based on current and historical
Ordnance Survey maps.
Assimilation of questionnaire responses from the various departments within the Council,
followed by a data audit, has enabled existing information of relevance to the strategy to be
identified together with information gaps which will need to be addressed and prioritised. A
summary of the data audit is presented in Appendix 1.
South Norfolk District is essentially a rural area with the population concentrated in relatively
few towns and large villages. (Figure 2 and Section 2.5 refers.) The Councils first priority in
dealing with contaminated land is to protect human health. Given that the limited industrial
development in the District is also focused in the main centres of population the urban areas are
at the highest risk of having all three elements of a pollutant linkage (source, pathway, receptor)
which could cause significant harm to human health.
31
As such, an indicative first order approximation could screen out the majority of the District.
However, the land uses associated with particular types of receptor also need to be considered
together with potential sources of pollution outside the urban areas. The strategy will therefore
also need to address the following aspects:

the accuracy to which the various data sets can realistically be resolved (for example,
proximity of sources of contamination to particular receptors to less than 50m);
the necessity to undertake some preliminary (visual) inspection of the District on a fairly
cursory basis (eg. walk/drive around the area) targeted at specific issues;
the use of the Councils Geographical Information System (GIS) to manage contaminated
land information;
the use of a scoring system to assist in assigning a priority to various areas of land and
decide which areas of land are likely to justify more detailed individual inspection;
evidence of an existing problem;
likelihood that past remediation work has reduced the potential for the presence of
contamination sources;
imminent redevelopment proposals where the potential for contamination is being addressed
by the planning and development control system;
highlight areas identified by the Local Plan which are expected to undergo development
before the next review data identified in the Inspection Strategy;
assessment of land for which the Council may be the appropriate person;
information provided to the Council by other statutory bodies (eg. Environment Agency,
MAFF, conservation/heritage bodies);
information provided to the Council by businesses, the general public or other organisations
or individuals.
To meet the aims of the strategy and information requirements of the receptor source-proximity
model, the inspection process has been summarised as a series of activities with target dates for
completion. This is presented as Appendix 2.
32
4. LOCAL AUTHORITY PRIORITY ACTIONS AND

TIMESCALES
This section describes the focus of the specific approach of the Council, reflecting the context
set out in Sections 1and 2 and the particular aims and objectives set out in section 3.
4.1.
Priorities
The first activity after strategy publication will be the requirement to obtain information on
current land use, local authority owned land, and public and private water abstraction points.
The land use categories will be: housing; schools; allotments; informal play areas; playing
fields; public open space, commercial development; industrial development; agriculture. This
data will be plotted on appropriately scaled maps of the District.
Data on important protected habitats, surface water features and positions of known/suspected
filled sites are shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 respectively at a scale of 1:150,000. The accuracy of
these and other data sets at a more detailed scale will be reviewed.
Historical geo-referenced Ordnance Survey maps of the District will be purchased at scales
appropriate to the characteristics of the area. An annual strategy review will be implemented
commencing in 2001. Prior to the first review any information provided by the public, business
or other organisation during the period April to August 2001 will be assessed. Information
provided during the period September 2001 to September 2002 will be incorporated into the
Receptor Source-Proximity Zone Plan as appropriate. Prior to the first review the capability of
the councils Geographical Information System to manage contaminated land information will
be reviewed.
4.2.
Timescales
The timescales for the prioritised activities identified in 4.1 are shown in Appendix 2 and
primarily cover the period July 2001 to March 2010.
33
5. PROCEDURES
5.1.
Internal management arrangements for inspection and identification
Within the District Council, the Environmental Health Department has responsibility for the
implementation of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. As part of the
Environmental Health and Leisure Team, the Senior Environmental Health Officer (Pollution)
is the lead officer on contaminated land , reporting to the Principal Environmental Health
Officer and the Deputy Chief Environmental Health and Leisure Officer.
A Contaminated Land Working Group will be established, led by Environmental Health, but
also comprising representatives from Central Services (Land Charges and Property
Management), Treasurers Department (Information Technology/Information services), and
Planning. Priority activities identified in the Inspection Timetable in Appendix 2 encompass
inputs from all these departments. To ensure a co-ordinated approach the working group will
meet on a quarterly basis during Year 1 (June, September and December 2001 and March 2002)
and annually thereafter as appropriate.
The Senior Environmental Health Officer (Pollution) will deal with the day-to-day
implementation of the strategy once approved by elected members. The Senior Environmental
Health Officer (Pollution) will also be responsible for serving remediation notices, subject to
consultation with the Deputy Chief Environmental Health and Leisure Officer and the
Councils solicitor.
Elected members will be informed at the earliest opportunity of any plans to designate an area
of council-owned land, or where the Council is the appropriate person and may be liable for
remediation costs.
5.2.
Considering local authority interests in land
As indicated in Sections 2 and 3, South Norfolk District Council holds approximately 900 title
deeds on current and former sites owned by the Council. Assessment of this land has been
identified as a priority in Appendix 2.
5.3.
Information Collection
The questionnaire circulated to various departments within the Council identified a number of
information sources to identify potential sources of contamination, potential receptors and the
nature of potential pathways. These information sources were broadly classified under the
headings of conservation data; geology; hydrology; hydrogeology; land use; and natural
contamination.
A summary of the currently available data types and their attributes is provided in Appendix 1.
34
The receptor source-proximity relative risk-screening model is provided in Appendix 3.
5.4.
Voluntary Information Provision and Complaints
Information may be provided to the Council by the general public, businesses or other
organisations or individuals either as a complaint regarding contaminated land or voluntarily
relating to land contamination that is not directly affecting them. Procedures to address these
complaints or acts of information provision are detailed here.
5.4.1
Complaints
A complaint regarding contaminated land will be dealt with following the same procedure as
currently used by the Environmental Health and Leisure Department to deal with statutory
nuisance complaints.
All complainants may expect:
their complaint to be logged and recorded
to be contacted by an officer regarding their complaint within three working days of receipt
to be kept informed of progress towards resolution of the problem.
Every effort will be made to resolve complaints quickly and efficiently. It must be recognised
however, that the legislation requires the following process in the designation of contaminated
land:
i)
proof of a viable pollutant linkage before any formal designation as contaminated land is
permissible, which might only be possible with detailed investigation
ii)
prior consultation with interested parties before determination as contaminated land
iii)
a minimum of a three month period between determination and serving of a remediation

notice
iv)
the requirement for the enforcing authority to make every effort to identify the original
polluter of the land (or Class A person)
The regulations allow conditions (ii) and (iii) to be waived in extreme cases, but not conditions
(i) and (iv).
Complaints will be assessed as a source of information in the development of the prioritised
receptor source-proximity model and final identification as appropriate.
5.4.2
Confidentiality
All complainants will be asked to supply their names and addresses and, if appropriate, the
address giving rise to the complaint. The identity of the complainant will remain confidential.
35
The only circumstance in which this information might be made public would be in the case of
a remediation notice being appealed in a court of law and an adverse effect on the
complainants health was an important reason for the original contaminated land designation.
5.4.3
Voluntary provision of information
If a person or organisation provides information relating to contaminated land that is not

directly affecting their own health, the health of their families or their property, this will not be
treated as a complaint. The information will be recorded and may be acted upon. There will,
however, be no obligation for the Council to keep the person or organisation informed of
progress towards resolution, although it may choose to do so as general good practice.
5.4.4
Anonymously supplied information
The Council does not normally undertake any investigation based on anonymously supplied
information, and this general policy will be adopted for contaminated land issues. This policy
does not, however, preclude investigation of an anonymous complaint in exceptional
circumstances.
5.4.5
Anecdotal evidence
Any anecdotal evidence provided to the Council relating to contaminated land will be noted, but
no designation of contaminated land will occur without robust scientific evidence. In all cases,
the Environmental Co-ordinator will use knowledge and experience to decide what, if any,
further investigation is required following a complaint or a provision of information.
5.5.
Information Evaluation
All information on substances in, on or under the ground that may cause significant harm or
pollution will be evaluated against current governmental guidelines.
Model Procedures for the Management of Contaminated Land have been developed by the
DETR contaminated land research programme and are due to be published shortly. These
incorporate existing good technical practice including the use of risk assessment and risk
management techniques, into a systematic process for identifying, making decisions about and
taking appropriate action to deal with contamination, in a way which is consistent with UK
policy and legislative requirements. When available, the procedures will be incorporated into
the management protocols of the inspection strategy.
36
5.5.1
Soil
Current generic guidelines for a range of contaminants in soil is provided by the

Interdepartmental Committee on Redevelopment of Contaminated and ICRCL 59/83 (2nd
edition 1987), Guidance on the assessment and development of contaminated land and the
Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment or CLEA guidelines.
Risk assessments may also be required for substances not covered by ICRCL or CLEA
guidelines. This will either be addressed via generic guidelines and standards adopted in other
countries (with due regard to the fact these criteria have been developed to support particular
policy and/or regulatory frameworks in the country of origin which may differ significantly
from those applying in the UK), or through site specific human health risk assessment tools
using authoritative sources of information.
5.5.2
Soil-Gas
Assessment of data on the soil-gas regime will utilise guidance provided by the Construction
Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA): Report 149 Protecting Development
from Methane (1995); Report 151 Interpreting Measurements of Gas in the Ground (1995);
and Report 152 Risk Assessment for Methane and Other Gases from the Ground (1995).
5.5.3
Controlled Waters
Advice will be sought from the Environment Agency on risk assessment if controlled waters are
the receptor in a particular pollutant linkage. It is anticipated, however, that risk assessments
and remediation will be carried out in accordance with Environment Agency guidance set out in
Methodology for the Derivation of Remedial Targets for Soil and Groundwater to Protect
Water Resources (EA R&D Publication 20, 1999).
5.6.
Interaction with other regulatory regimes
There are other regulatory actions that can be taken to deal with contamination on land.
Overlaps with planning, water pollution and IPPC legislation are considered the most important
and are addressed here. Any issues of land contamination that may previously have been dealt
with under the statutory nuisance regime will now be dealt with through Part IIA processes.
5.6.1 Planning
The vast majority of contaminated land issues are currently addressed through the planning
regime, where contamination is a material consideration. While the introduction of Part IIA
will undoubtedly lead to the problems of additional sites being addressed, it is anticipated that
redevelopment of brownfield sites, and the associated planning controls, will remain the
primary mechanism for dealing with contaminated land. Any remediation agreed as a planning
condition will be dealt with under planning controls and not under Part IIA .
37
5.6.2 Water pollution

The Water Resources Act 1991 gives the Environment Agency powers to deal with harm to
controlled waters being caused by contaminated land. While Part IIA legislation does not
revoke these powers, the DETR have indicated that such problems should now be dealt with
under the new contaminated land regime. The following steps will be taken:
The council will consult with the Environment Agency before designating any contaminated
land as a result of risk to controlled waters and will take to account any comments made with
respect to remediation.
If the Agency identifies a risk to controlled waters from contaminated land, the Council will be
notified to enable designation of the land and remedial action will be taken under Part IIA.
5.6.3 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Under new legislation to regulate with pollution from industrial processes, site operators are
required to undertake a site condition survey prior to receiving a license to operate. If the site
condition is such that areas of land meet the definition of contaminated land, then submission of
a site survey may trigger action under Part IIA. Existing processes will be brought under this
legislation in stages over the next seven years, although it will apply to any new processes or
any substantial change to an existing process.
38
6. LIAISON AND COMMUNICATION

Effective liaison with other bodies is central to the implementation of this strategy. Liaison
mechanisms are identified in this section.
6.1.
Statutory Consultees
Statutory consultees for the contaminated land inspection strategy are:
Environment Agency
English Nature
English Heritage
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
East of England Development Agency
Norfolk County Council
Each organisation will be invited to comment on the consultation draft of the strategy.
6.2.
Non-statutory Consultees
There is considerable scope for members of the public, businesses and voluntary organisations
to make important contributions in dealing with contaminated land in the District. In particular
the 118 Parish Councils within the District could be an important source of information
regarding local knowledge they may possess on potentially contaminative land uses in the past.
The draft strategy will be published on the Districts web site and every effort will be made to
encourage participation by non-statutory consultees in the process of identifying potentially
contaminated land.
6.3.
Communicating with owners, occupiers and other interested parties
The District Councils approach to its regulatory duties is to seek voluntary action before taking
enforcement action. This approach will be adopted for issues of land contamination,
recognising that in many cases as much or more effective remediation can be achieved by
agreement than by enforcement. The regulations provide an incentive to undertake voluntary
action, in that any materials that require disposal as a result of voluntary remediation will be
exempt from landfill taxes. This exemption does not apply to materials generated as a result of a
remediation notice having been served.
39
This approach requires effective communication with owners, occupiers and other interested
parties in some aspects of detailed inspection and the preparation of a written record of any
determination that particular land is contaminated land. The Environmental Co-ordinator will
be the central contact point within the authority on contaminated land issues and keep owners,
occupiers and other interested parties informed as necessary and regardless of whether there is a
formal designation of contaminated land.
6.4.
Powers of entry
Under Section 108 (6) of the Environment Act the Council has been granted powers of entry to
carry out investigation. At least seven days notice will be given of proposed entry onto any
premises, unless there is an immediate risk to human health or the environment.
6.5.
Risk Communication
In accordance with the Environment Agency and Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for
Environmental Research publication Communicating Understanding of Contaminated Land
Risks, the Council recognises that decisions about contaminated land are not made on a purely
technical basis.
Procedures will be based on criteria which address :
the need for two-way communication
to create trust in the regulatory role
openness to enhance the legitimacy of the overall process to the stakeholder
Each site will be different and as such risk communication will need to operate in a structured
but flexible framework and reflect the content and history around a particular contaminated site.
The Council recognises that the statutory definition of contaminated land requires that there is a
risk of significant harm or pollution of controlled waters and that the expectations of some
members of the public will not be met by the powers the local authority may exercise under the
Part IIA regime.
6.6.
The Public Register
Under the regulations, the Council is required to maintain a public contaminated land register.
The register will be held by the Environmental Health and Leisure Department at the Councils
Long Stratton office. It will be paper-based (rather than electronic) and be accessible on
request by members of the public during office hours, Monday to Friday.
The regulations clearly specify the information that can be recorded on this register. This
register will therefore include:
40
remediation notices
details of the site reports obtained by the authority relating to remediation notices
remediation declarations, remediation statements and notification of claimed remediation
designation of sites as special sites
any appeals lodged against remediation and charging notices
convictions
The public register will not include details of historic land use and other records used in the
assessment and investigation of potentially contaminated land. These are research documents
and as such will not be made available to the public.
6.7.
Provision of information to the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is required to prepare an Annual Report for the Secretary of State on
the state of contaminated land in England and Wales. This report will include:

A summary of local authority inspection strategies, including progress against the strategy
and its effectiveness
The amount of contaminated land and the nature of the contamination
Measures taken to remediate land
As local authorities are the lead regulators on contaminated land, with the EA regulating only
some categories of sites, the national survey will clearly be reliant on information provided by
local authorities. A memorandum of understanding has been drawn up between the
Environment Agency and the Local Government Association that describes how information
will be exchanged between the local authority and the Environment Agency. The Council will
therefore provide information to the Environment Agency following the guidelines agreed
through this national forum.
The local authority must also provide information to the Environment Agency whenever a site
is designated as contaminated land, and whenever a remediation notice, statement or declaration
is issued or agreed. The Environment Agency has provided standard forms allowing this
information to be provided in a consistent format and the Council will adopt these to fulfil its
reporting requirements.
41
7. PROGRAMME AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR DETAILED

INSPECTION OF HIGH PRIORITY SITES
7.1.
Site specific liaison and powers of entry
Under Section 108 (6) of the Environment Act 1995, the council has been granted powers of
entry to carry out investigation.
Before the Council carries out an inspection using statutory powers of entry it will have carried
out site specific liaison with owners, appropriate persons, the Environment Agency, English
Nature, or English Heritage, and satisfied itself on the basis of any information already obtained
that:

there is a reasonable possibility that a pollutant linkage exists on the land;
in cases involving intrusive investigation that it is likely that the contaminant is actually
present and that given the current use of the land, the receptor is actually present or is likely
to be present.
The Council will not carry out an inspection using statutory powers of entry which takes the
form of intrusive investigation if:

it has already been provided with detailed information on the condition of the land upon
which the Council can determine whether the land is contaminated; or
a person offers to provide such information within a reasonable and specified time, and then
provides such information within that time.
Where the Council decides to carry out intrusive investigation it will be in accordance with
appropriate technical procedures for such investigations (for example BS10175 (2000) and
BS5930 (1999)).
7.2.
Formal Designation of Contaminated Land
The Council will prepare a written record of any determination that particular land is
contaminated land. The record will include:
i)
a description of the particular significant pollutant linkage, identifying all three

components of the pollutant, pathway and receptor;
ii)
a summary of the evidence upon which the determination is based;
iii)
a summary of the relevant assessment of this evidence; and
iv)
a summary of the way in which the authority considers that the requirements of
42
statutory guidance have been satisfied.

When a formal designation of contaminated land is made, the following actions will be
undertaken:
i)
write to the owner and/or the occupier of the land, as well as the Environment Agency,
at least 5 working days prior to designation, explaining in summary the reason for
designation
ii)
write to the owner and/or the occupier explaining the land has been designated as
contaminated land and seeking appropriate remediation without service of a notice
iii)
if requested, dispatch a copy of the written risk assessment to the owner and/or occupier
of the land within 5 working days of receipt of a request
iv)
write to the owner/occupier of neighbouring properties and/or the complainant within 5

working days of designation
Should an urgent designation of contaminated land be required, these steps will be observed as
far as practicable, although some deviation from the timescales specified is to be expected.
43
8. REVIEW MECHANISMS
The strategy and supporting information outlines the overall approach the Council will adopt in
inspecting land within its area for contamination. An integral part of the strategy however, is to
be flexible enough to review assumptions and information obtained and remain effective and
up-to-date. These aspects are set out in this section.
8.1.
Triggers for undertaking inspection
The procedures in Section 5 and the timetable in Appendix 2 have recognised that there may be
occasions when the assessment of data and inspections may have to be undertaken outside the
general inspection framework. These include:

responding to information from other statutory bodies, owners, occupiers, the general public
or other organisations;
the introduction of new receptors as a result of particular land uses identified in the Local
Plan;
dealing with urgent sites as identified (e.g as a result of unplanned events);
supporting voluntary remediation where a potentially liable party wishes to undertake a

clean-up before their land has been inspected by the local authority.
The extent to which these events might disrupt the overall inspection timetable remains to be
seen but will be a consideration in the annual strategy reviews.
8.2.
Triggers for reviewing inspection decisions
All decisions made with regard to contamination need to be made objectively, consistently,
transparently, and with proper regard to uncertainty. One important aspect of managing
contaminated land is the need to review from time to time, the decisions that no action is
necessary, to establish whether any material changes have occurred. Examples of factors which
influence the decisions and which have the potential to change include:

site use
use of adjoining land
climatic or meteorological change
change in physical characteristics e.g the water environment
legislative or internal or external policy changes
44
technical standards or procedures
ability for actions by humans or other agents to reduce the effectiveness of remedial
measures.
All decisions will therefore be made and recorded in a consistent manner that will allow
efficient review.
8.3.
Reviewing the strategy
The first review will occur during the consultation phase.

Priority actions have been identified and are indicated on the Inspection Timetable in Appendix
2. The first formal review will take place in September 2002. This will enable early progress
and any initial issues to be reviewed and dealt with as necessary.
45
9. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
An audit of the current datasets was undertaken to establish availability, format, proprietary and
quality of data within South Norfolk District Council with a view to undertaking a
contaminated land risk assessment.
Datasets were placed into 3 classes:
available and georeferenced
available and non-georeferenced
not currently held.
The inventory of datasets is set out in Tables A, B and C in Appendix 1.

A Geographical Information System provides an ideal data management tool through which the
risk assessment phase can be managed. Further consideration will be given to data cleaning and
acquisition, data storage capacity, software capability and staff resourcing prior to undertaking
the risk assessment.
46
10. REFERENCES
Section 1
1. Environmental Protection Act 1990. HMSO (1990)
2. Water Resources Act 1991. HMSO (1991)
3. Paying for our Past. Consultation Paper DOE/WO (London, Cardiff, March 1994)
4. Framework for Contaminated Land DOE (London), November 1994.
5.The Environment Act 1995 HMSO (1995)
6. The Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000. SI 2000/227 HMSO (2000)
7. DETR Circular 02/2000, Environmental Protection Act 1999: Part IIA Contaminated Land
HMSO (2000)
8. Land Inspection Strategies, Technical Advice for Local Authorities, DETR (Draft for
comment 2000).
Section 2
1. South Norfolk. A Guide to the District. South Norfolk District Council (1997).
2.Historical Britain. E.S. Wood, Harvill Press, London (1997)
3.Geological Influences on the Siting of Military Airfields in the UK. R.N.O Blake in Geology
and Warfare. E.P.F Rose and C.P Nathanial (Eds). Geological Society (2000)
4. USAAF airfields in South Norfolk. South Norfolk Council.
5.The Geomorphology of the British Isles. Eastern and Central England. A. Straw and K.
Clayton. Methuen (1979)
6. Revised Correlation of Quarternary Deposits in the British Isles D. G Bowen (Ed).
Geological Society Special Report No 23 (1999)
7. British Geological Survey1:50,000 scale Solid and Drift Maps: Sheet 161 Norwich, Sheet
162 Great Yarmouth, Sheet 175 Diss, Sheet 176 Lowestoft.
8. British Geological Survey 1:125,000 scale Hydrogeological Map of Northern East Anglia
(1976)
47
9. British Geological Survey 1:125,000 scale Hydrogeological Map of Southern East Anglia
(1981)
10. National Rivers Authority (EA) Policy and Practice for the Protection of Groundwater.
Regional Appendix Anglian Region .
11.Environment Agency 1:100,000 scale Groundwater Vulnerability Maps; Sheet 26 East
Norfolk, Sheet 33 East Suffolk.
12. British Geological Survey. BGS Technical Report WP/95/2 Radon and background
radioactivity from natural sources: characteristics, extent and relevance to planning and
development in Great Britain.(1995)
13. British Geological Survey. BGS Technical Report WP/95/1. Methane, carbon dioxide and
oil seeps from natural sources and mining areas: characteristics, extent and relevance to
planning and development in Great Britain. (1995)
14. The Soil Geochemical Atlas of England and Wales. Chapman and Hall (1992)
15. British Geological Survey. BGS Technical Report WP/95/3. Potentially harmful elements
from natural sources and mining areas: characteristics, extent and relevance to planning and
development in Great Britain (1995).
Section 3
1.The Surface Water (River Ecosystem) (Classification) Regulations 1994.SI 1994/1057.(1994)
Section 5
1.Department of the Environment Interdepartmental Committee on the Redevelopment of
Contaminated Land (ICRCL) ,Guidance Note 59/83 (2nd Edition),Guidance on the Assessment
and Redevelopment of Contaminated Land. ICRCL,1987
2.Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Protecting Development from
Methane.CIRIA Report 149 (1995)
3.Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Interpreting Measurements of
Gas in the Ground CIRIA Report 151 (1995)
4.Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Risk Assessment for Methane
and Other Gases in the Ground.CIRIA Report 152 (1995)
5.Environment Agency. Methodology for the Derivation of Remedial Targets for Soil and
Groundwater to Protect Water Resources. R & D Publication 20 (2000).
Section 7
48
1.British Standards Institute. Code Of Practice for Site Investigations.BS 5930 (1999)
2.British Standards Institute. Investigation of Potentially Contaminated Sites Code of
Practice. BS10175 (2001)
3. Environment Agency. Development of Appropriate Sampling Strategies for Land
Contamination. R & D Technical Report HOCO 352 (1999)
Section 9
1. British Geological Survey and Environment Agency . Some Guidance on the Use of Digital
Environmental Data. BGS Technical Report WE/99/4;EA ProjectNC/06/32 (2000)
49
APPENDIX 1
DATA AUDIT FINDINGS

Data Audit Findings
From Table A it can be seen that 46 identified data sets, containing relevant information, are
held in a georeferenced format. The principal sources of these data are Statutory Agencies.
Data from these agencies is primarily stored in ArcView .shp or MS Access format.
Georeferenced datasets held by South Norfolk District Council are primarily in DataMAP
format, however 2 datasets are held in hardcopy.
Of the 22 non-georeferenced data sets set out in Table B, 21 are held by South Norfolk District
Council. The majority of these related to queries able to be provided by the FLARE database
system, however a number are held in hardcopy. A number of the hardcopy datasets provide
information relating to historical and current land use.
Data not currently held by South Norfolk District Council is largely comprised of geological
and hydrogeological mapping available from the British Geological Survey, see Table C,
although reference to this data has clearly been made in developing the strategy document.
Detailed historical data is also currently unavailable.
During the audit a number of observations were made regarding key datasets held by South
Norfolk District Council.
South Norfolk District Council maintain a central property gazetteer in an AS400 system. The
database contains a 12 figure OS grid reference and classification entry for each property in the
District. A programme is currently underway to create a basic land and property unit (BLPU)
for each property record. The BLPU will relate to the physical property footprint, rather than
the land parcel on which the property is situated.
South Norfolk District Council have a corporate GIS policy to use SIC DataMAP as a corporate
Geographical Information System (GIS).
The Environmental Health Department use FLARE as a database system on which information
relating to licensed premises, pollution incidents and monitoring sites are stored. The FLARE
system is not currently linked to DataMAP, although property addresses entered into FLARE
are cross-referenced against the AS400 gazetteer.
Table A. Data sets currently available and held in a georeferenced format

Title
Source
Areas of Outstanding natural Countryside

beauty
Commn
Discharge Consent Locations
EA
County Boundaries
EA
Unitary authority Boundaries
EA
Metoc & LA Inspection
EA
Strategies
Hydrometric sub Catchment
EA
Bathing Waters
EA
Groundwater Level
EA
Observation Boreholes
Licensed Water Abstractions
EA
Groundwater vulnerability
EA
maps
Groundwater vulnerability
EA
maps (drift)
IPC part A processes
EA
Format 1
Format
2
Georef'd
Scale
Date
Contact
shp
Dbf
10000
2000
EH
access
shp
shp
access
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Y
Y
Y
Y
Na
10000
10000
Na
2000
2000
2000
2000
EH
EH
EH
EH
shp
shp
Excel97
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Y
Y
Y
50000
Na
Na
2000
2000
2000
EH
EH
EH
Excel97
shp
Dbf
NA
Y
Y
Na
1000000
2000
2000
EH
EH
shp
NA
1000000
2000
EH
Excel97
Dbf
50000
2000
EH
Main Rivers
EA
shp
Dbf
10000
2000
EH
River quality objectives

Non licensed water sample
points
Pollution incident locations
(91-98)
Pollution incident locations
(99-00)
Landfill Site Location and
Records (Closed and in
current use)
Waste management licenses
Local EA Plan Boundaries
Registered radioactive
substances
Nitrate sensitive areas
Environmentally Sensitive
areas
Natural Areas of England
SSSI
SAC
Ramsar
SPAs
Heritage Coast
District Council boundaries
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Filled Sites
Possible Filled Sites
Potentially Polluted Sites
Investigated Sites
Flooding Information
OS LandLine
EA
EA
access
shp
Dbf
Dbf
Y
Y
Na
Na
2000
2000
EH
EH
EA
Excel97
Dbf
Na
2000
EH
EA
shp
Dbf
Na
2000
EH
EA
shp
Dbf
10000
2000
EH
EA
EA
EA
access
shp
shp
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Y
Y
Y
Na
250000
50000
2000
2000
2000
EH
EH
EH
EA
EA
shp
shp
Dbf
Dbf
Y
Y
25000
25000
2000
2000
EH
EH
EA
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
LA
MAFF
EH
EH
EH
EH
IT
IT
shp
shp
shp
shp
shp
shp
shp
shp
access
access
Excel97
access
shp
NTF
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Dbf
Excel
Excel
250000
10000
10000
10000
10000
50000
10000
25000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
Dxf
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
125010000
2000
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
IT
IT
OS 1:50K raster
IT
.bmp
2000
Planning
Property Terrier
Scheduled Ancient
Monuments
County Wildlife Sites
Planning hazardous
substances Consents and
enforcements
NLUD
IT
Planning
DataMAP
DataMAP
Dbf
Dbf
Y
Y
2000
IT
Planning
Planning
Planning
GIS
DataMAP
Dbf
?
Y
Y
2000
Planning
Planning
Planning
Excel97
DataMAP
2000
Planning
Local Land Use plan (2005)

LA landfill records
Petrol stations (A)
Planning
Planning
EH
DataMAP
hc
Hc
Y
Y
2000
2000
Planning
Planning
EH
Excel
Table B. Data currently available but held in a non-georeferenced format

Title
Source
Format 1
Scale
Date
Contact
Current and Former LA

owned/leased land use
Central
Services
hc
2500
2000
Central
Services
Aerial Photos
County
Council
EH
hc
10000?
1974
hc
2500
18801974
EH
EH
access
2000
EH
EH
Planning
Planning
EH
hc
hc
hc
hc
N
N
N
N
2000
?
2000
EH
Planning
Planning
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
AS400
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
access
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
property
Property
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
EH
25" to 1 mile (1:2534)

Historical Cunty series maps.
Ist ed 1879-86; 2nd ed 190006 Revised ed 1928-47
Waste transfer, treatment and
disposal sites
LA landfill records
Land use Surveys
Local Nature Reserves
License exempt water
sources
Part B Processes
Animal Licences
Clinical Waste Collections
Entertainment Venues
Food Processing
Public Facilities
Catering
Land
Utilities
Atmospheric Pollution
Industrial Food
Agricultural
Housing and Holiday Sites
Petrol stations (B)
Format 2 Georef'd
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Excel
Table C. Data not currently held or untraceable

Title
Source
1:50k geological maps (solid and drift)

1:10K geoogical maps
Borehole records
Recorded landfills (pre 72)
Radon potential
Potentially harmful elements
Methane gas and oil seeps
Baseline geochemistry
1:100K hydro geological
Recorded Mineral sites
Groundwater source protection zones
River Quality data
OS 1:10K raster
Radon affected areas
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
BGS
EA
EA
LA
NRPB
6" to 1 mile 91:10560) Historical County

map series
Historical Land Use Data
Sitescope
Raster
Historical
Land Use
Data
CC
.shp
1:1250 and 1:2500 OS national grid series

maps (1946 onwards)
Drainage network
LA
hc
National Nature Reserves
LA
LA quarrying records
LA
Format 1 Format 2 Georef'd
.mdb
Scale
Date
10560
up to 1946
1250 10560
to present
2500
1946
onwards
APPENDIX 2
INSPECTION TIMETABLE
Consultation
Publish Strategy
Assess information provided by

the public, business or other
organisations including Local
Land Plan
Deal with urgent sites as
requested
Local Authority Contaminated
Land Working Group Review
Review accuracy of current
datasets
Generate current land use plan
and geo-reference
Assess LA owned and leased
land and geo-reference

Generate record of public and
private water abstraction points
and geo-reference
Obtain post-war geo-referenced
historical maps and digital aerial
photographs of the District
Review LA GIS capability to
manage contaminated land
information
Capture data in GIS compatible
formats
Generate prioritised Receptor
Source-Proximity Zone Plan,
Categories (i) to (iv)
Preliminary inspection
Obtain further information on

Categories (ii), (iii) and (iv) as
appropriate and reclassify
Detailed inspection of Category
(iv) sites
Final identification
Annual review
APPENDIX 3
RECEPTOR SOURCE-PROXIMITY RELATIVE RISKSCREENING MODEL
Receptor Source Proximity Relative Risk Screening Model

Stage 1 Prioritised Receptors
1.Humans
Low risk; industrial and commercial developments

Medium risk; playing fields, public open space
High risk; informal play areas, schools, allotments, housing
Proximity of possible source, excluding landfills, to area

High risk; 0 to 50m
Medium risk; 51 to 250m
Low risk; >250m
2.Development(gas)
Low risk; industrial development

Medium risk; commercial development
High risk; residential
Proximity of filled ground/landfills to area

High risk; 0 to 50m
Low risk; >250m
3.Groundwater
Low risk; industrial or agricultural use

Medium risk; private supply
High risk; public supply
Proximity of abstraction point to area

High risk; 0 to 1000m
Low risk,; >2000m
4. Surface Water
Low risk; GQA Classes A and B, River Ecosystem Classes RE1 and RE2
Medium risk; GQA Classes C and D, River Ecosystem Classes RE3 and RE4
High risk; GQA Classes E and F, River Ecosystem Classes RE5
Proximity of possible source from each bank and 100m upstream of GQA surface water class
High risk; 0 to 50m
Low risk; >250m
5.Protected Species
Low risk; non-statutory
Medium risk; SSSI
High risk; European designation
Proximity of possible source to area

High risk; 0 to 50m
Low risk; >250m
6. Property in other forms

Low risk; crops
Medium risk; livestock, owned or domesticated animals, wild animals subject to shooting
or fishing rights
High risk; home-grown produce
Proximity of possible source to area

High risk; 0 to 50m
Low risk; >250m
On this basis minimum information requirements will be:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
vi)
vii)
Current land use plans

Locations of current and former landfills and other areas of filled ground
Locations of groundwater abstraction wells, both public and private
Current surface water classification under the Environment Agencys GQA (Chemistry)
and River Ecosystem Classification
Location of statutory and non statutory sites of ecological importance
Potential sources of contamination based on the industries listed in the DOE Industry
Profiles
The historical locations of these industries based on historical Ordnance Survey maps
For high risk score 3,medium risk 2 and low risk 1.Nine possible combinations for each ranked
group of receptors:
H3
M2
L1
3
6
2
4
1
2
L1 M2
12
9
6
3
H3
Preliminary Category (i)

34
Preliminary Category (ii)
Preliminary Category (iii)
Preliminary Category (iv)

A land area plan showing each of these preliminary categories can then be produced.
The plan can then be revised based on site specific information which may be supplied
by the local authority, Environment Agency, individual organisations, voluntary
groups and local residents.
Stage 2 Inferred Pathways

Starting with the human receptors in Preliminary Category (iv) and the information
available at this stage (including the local geological and hydrogeological conditions) ,
the presence of a particular pathway will be considered in terms of:
likely to be present
may be present
unlikely to be present
and the need for further information as part of an iterative process in focussing in on the highest
risk areas
The following matrix could emerge in terms of numbers of preliminary prioritised sites with
emphasis placed on the presence of likely pathways in Preliminary Category (iv) for human
receptors and then working down the chosen receptor priority list for Preliminary Category (iv)
areas under the development, groundwater etc receptor categories.
PRIORITY
HIGH
LOW
HIGH
Preliminary Categories
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Humans
Development
LOW
Groundwater
Surface Water
Protected Species
Property in other forms
Those areas falling within Preliminary Category (i) would be screened out at this stage.
APPENDIX 4
EXTRACT FROM THE CONTAMINATED LAND
(ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2000
2 Land required to be designated as a special site

(1) Contaminated land of the following descriptions is prescribed for the purposes of section
78C(8) as land required to be designated as a special site
(a) land to which regulation 3 applies;
(b)
land which is contaminated land by reason of waste acid tars in, on or under the
land;
(c)
land on which any of the following activities have been carried on at any time
(i)
the purification (including refining) of crude petroleum or of oil extracted
from petroleum, shale or any other bituminous substance except coal; or
(ii)
(d)
the manufacture or processing of explosives;
land on which a prescribed process designated for central control has been or is
being carried on under an authorisation where the process does not comprise solely
things being done which are required by way of remediation;
(da) land on which an activity has been or is being carried on in a Part A(1) installation
or by means of Part A(1) mobile plant under a permit where the activity does not
comprise solely things being done which are required by way of remediation;]
(e)
land within a nuclear site;
(f)
land owned or occupied by or on behalf of
(i)
the Secretary of State for Defence;
(ii)
the Defence Council;
(iii) an international headquarters or defence organisation; or

(iv) the service authority of a visiting force,
being land used for naval, military or air force purposes;

(g)
land on which the manufacture, production or disposal of

(i)
chemical weapons;
(ii) any biological agent or toxin which falls within section 1(1)(a) of the
Biological Weapons Act 1974 (restriction on development of biological agents and
toxins); or
(iii) any weapon, equipment or means of delivery which falls within section
1(1)(b) of that Act (restriction on development of biological weapons),
has been carried on at any time;
(h) land comprising premises which are or were designated by the Secretary of State by
an order made under section 1(1) of the Atomic Weapons Establishment Act 1991
(arrangements for development etc of nuclear devices);
(i)
land to which section 30 of the Armed Forces Act 1996 (land held for the benefit of
Greenwich Hospital) applies; and
(j)
land which
(i) is adjoining or adjacent to land of a description specified in sub-paragraphs (b)
to (i) above; and
(ii) is contaminated land by virtue of substances which appear to have escaped
from land of such a description.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) above, waste acid tars are tars which
(a) contain sulphuric acid;
(b)
were produced as a result of the refining of benzole, used lubricants or petroleum;

and
(c)
are or were stored on land used as a retention basin for the disposal of such tars.
(3) In paragraph (1)(d) above, authorisation and prescribed process have the same meaning
as in Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (integrated pollution control and air
pollution control by local authorities) and the reference to designation for central control is a
reference to designation under section 2(4) (which provides for processes to be designated for
central or local control).
(3A) In paragraph (1)(da) above, Part A(1) installation, Part A(1) mobile plant and
permit have the same meaning as in the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and
Wales) Regulations 2000.
(4) In paragraph (1)(e) above, nuclear site means
(a) any site in respect of which, or part of which, a nuclear site licence is for the time
being in force; or
(b)
any site in respect of which, or part of which, after the revocation or surrender of a
nuclear site licence, the period of responsibility of the licensee has not come to an
end;
and nuclear site licence, licensee and period of responsibility have the meaning given by
the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(f) above, land used for residential purposes or by the
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes shall be treated as land used for naval, military or air force
purposes only if the land forms part of a base occupied for naval, military or air force purposes.
(6) In paragraph (1)(f) above
international headquarters and defence organisation mean, respectively, any
international headquarters or defence organisation designated for the purposes of the
International Headquarters and Defence Organisations Act 1964;
service authority and visiting force have the same meaning as in Part I of the Visiting
Forces Act 1952.
(7) In paragraph (1)(g) above, chemical weapon has the same meaning as in subsection (1) of
section 1 of the Chemical Weapons Act 1996 disregarding subsection (2) of that section.
3 Pollution of controlled waters
For the purposes of regulation 2(1)(a), this regulation applies to land where
(a) controlled waters which are, or are intended to be, used for the supply of drinking
water for human consumption are being affected by the land and, as a result, require
a treatment process or a change in such a process to be applied to those waters
before use, so as to be regarded as wholesome within the meaning of Part III of the
Water Industry Act 1991 (water supply);
(b)
controlled waters are being affected by the land and, as a result, those waters do not
meet or are not likely to meet the criterion for classification applying to the relevant
description of waters specified in regulations made under section 82 of the Water
Resources Act 1991 (classification of quality of waters); or
(c)
controlled waters are being affected by the land and

(i)
any of the substances by reason of which the pollution of the waters is being
or is likely to be caused falls within any of the families or groups of substances
listed in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations; and
(ii) the waters, or any part of the waters, are contained within underground strata
which comprise wholly or partly any of the formations of rocks listed in paragraph 2
of Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

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Contaminated Land

South Norfolk District Council

GENERAL POLICY OF SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL................................................ 1

REGULATORY CONTEXT ..................................................................................................... 2

Regulatory role of local authorities under Part IIA ..................................................... 2

Regulatory role of the Environment Agency ................................................................. 3

Definition of Contaminated Land under Part IIA......................................................... 4

Risk based approach.................................................................................................. 4

Requirements for Strategic Approach........................................................................... 5

DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGY...................................................................................... 6

OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY .......................................................................................... 6

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT ...............................................8

SOUTH NORFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL STRATEGY: OVERALL AIMS ............... 30

LOCAL AUTHORITY PRIORITY ACTIONS AND TIMESCALES .............................. 33

AIMS OF THE STRATEGY.................................................................................................... 30

OBJECTIVES AND MILESTONES .......................................................................................... 31

INTERNAL MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR INSPECTION AND IDENTIFICATION ........... 34

CONSIDERING LOCAL AUTHORITY INTERESTS IN LAND ..................................................... 34

INFORMATION COLLECTION ............................................................................................. 34

VOLUNTARY INFORMATION PROVISION AND COMPLAINTS .............................................. 35

5.6.1 Planning ........................................................................................................................... 37

5.6.2 Water pollution................................................................................................................. 38

5.6.3 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)...................................................... 38

LIAISON AND COMMUNICATION ..................................................................................39

STATUTORY CONSULTEES ................................................................................................ 39

NON-STATUTORY CONSULTEES ........................................................................................ 39

COMMUNICATING WITH OWNERS, OCCUPIERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES .............. 39

POWERS OF ENTRY ............................................................................................................ 40

RISK COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................... 40

THE PUBLIC REGISTER...................................................................................................... 40

PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ......................................... 41

PRIORITY SITES ............................................................................................................................ 42

SITE SPECIFIC LIAISON AND POWERS OF ENTRY ................................................................. 42

FORMAL DESIGNATION OF CONTAMINATED LAND ........................................................... 42

REVIEW MECHANISMS ..................................................................................................... 44

TRIGGERS FOR UNDERTAKING INSPECTION ....................................................................... 44

TRIGGERS FOR REVIEWING INSPECTION DECISIONS ........................................................... 44

REVIEWING THE STRATEGY .............................................................................................. 45

Figure 2. Main Settlements in South Norfolk..........................................................12

Figure 3. Areas of Known Ecological Importance ..................................................14

Figure 4. Environment Agency Registered Pollution Incidents and Principal Water

Drainage Features .............................................................................................17

Figure 5. Known Information on Potential Contamination Sources ........................18

Figure 6. Groundwater Vulnerability .......................................................................25

Figure 7. Groundwater Vulnerability (Drift) and Principal Surface Water Drainage

Table 2. Geological Sequence of the District ...........................................................21

Table 3. Hydrogeological Features of the District....................................................24

Table 4. Classification of Stream Sediment Geochemical Data...............................28

South Norfolk District Council

meet the statutory requirements to produce a strategy;

The councils priorities in dealing with contaminated land will be to:

protect human health

protect controlled waters

protect designated ecosystems

prevent damage to property

prevent further contamination of land

encourage voluntary remediation

encourage re-use of brownfield land

Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy

from time to time for the purpose of identifying contaminated land.

General policy of South Norfolk District Council

considerations in developing this Inspection Statutory because they:

encourage the prudent use of land and social resources;

Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy