Understanding Contaminated Land: Environmental Searches for Commercial Property Buyers

When buying commercial land to develop or redevelop, be it a brown or green site, it is essential to get the right environmental search.

There is a huge variety of environmental searches available on the market to choose from. Under the Environmental Protection Act, local authorities have an obligation to inspect properties within their boundaries to identify any risks, such as contaminated land, hence the need for an environmental search.

Although many searches look the same on the surface, they can differ dramatically and getting the wrong one can come with a costly remediation process to land owners. The Law Society recommends that buyers “should consider in all conveyancing transactions whether land contamination is an issue”. These searches are especially important if you’re putting a spade in the ground or working with buildings that could potentially contain harmful substances. Invest in a deeper environmental search to cover contaminated land.

What exactly is contaminated land?

Contaminated land is when a substance, whether that is a contaminant or pollutant, is found on or under land, which could cause significant harm to the environment or pollute controlled waterways. This could be due to pollution from contaminants such as heavy metals, chemical substances, radioactive materials, asbestos, oils and tars.

Why is it important to get the relevant search?

Initially, any land deemed contaminated may require remediation by the enforcing authority. This will fall firstly on those responsible for the contamination. If this is not known, then it will fall on the current landowner or occupier to rectify. This can be an expensive and stressful process to go through.

Due to this risk, it is always best when dealing with a commercial property transaction to ensure your environmental searches are fit for purpose. The more consultant involvement there is as part of the search, the more accurate the overall risk assessment will be.

To find out more about environmental searches and see our full range of commercial environmental reports, visit our website. Our reports are designed to give you full transparency on any environmental risks that may affect a property or land purchase. They offer insight into a number of risks, including air quality, contamination, risks related to the purchase of farmland and much more. Give your clients security and confidence through our reliable reports.

Contact us here anytime, our friendly team are always happy to help.