Green-Field † land not previously built upon. Usually part of the
`green†belt' surrounding urban areas, designated inappropriate
for development in order to preserve the countryside. Limited
development for agricultural purposes only may be permitted on
`green-belt' land.Brown-Field † derelict land formerly a developed site and usually
associated with previous construction of industrial buildings. UK
government has set an objective to build 60% of the 4 million new
homes required by 2016 on these sites.Site Survey † essential that a geo†technical survey is undertaken
to determine whether contaminants are in the soil and ground
water. Of particular concern are: acids, salts, heavy metals,
cyanides and coal tars, in addition to organic materials which
decompose to form the highly explosive gas, methane. Analysis of
the soil will determine a `trigger threshold value', above which it
will be declared sensitive to the end user. For example, a domestic
garden or children's play area will have a low value relative to
land designated for a commercial car park.Site Preparation † when building on sites previously infilled with
uncontaminated material, a reinforced raft type foundation may be
adequate for light structures. Larger buildings will justify soil
consolidation and compaction processes to improve the bearing
capacity. Remedial measures for subsoils containing chemicals or
other contaminants are varied.Legislation † the Environment Protection Act of 1990 attempted
to enforce responsibility on local authorities to compile a register
of all potentially contaminated land. This proved unrealistic and
too costly due to inherent complexities. Since then, requirements
under the Environment Act 1995, the Pollution Prevention and
Control Act 1999, the PPC Regulations 2000 and the subsequent
DCLG Planning Policy Statement (PPS 23, 2004): Planning and
Pollution Control (Annex 2: Development on land affected by
contamination), have made this more of a planning issue. It has
become the responsibility of developers to conduct site
investigations and to present details of proposed remedial
measures as part of their planning application.Reclamation of Waste Land