Contaminated Land
Contaminated land
We are required to identify land that may have been contaminated and make it safe and secure for the public and environment.
We do this mainly through the planning process and through the Environmental Protection Act Part 2A Regulations. The way we address land contamination can be found in our Land Contamination Strategy.
Land contamination can come from naturally occurring contaminants, from our industrial legacy or from pollution incidents. England has the world's longest history of industrial activity dating back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Unfortunately this has also left us with a legacy of contamination to address.
Searches
About
We'll carry out a historical search, give you information received through the planning process and identify any contaminative use surrounding the site.
Searches can take up to 21 days.
Request a search
Email ehadmin@midkent.gov.uk including your name, address, contact number, the full site address and a map of the site.
Fee
The service costs £27 an hour. The first hour is payable in advance. After we've completed the search, we'll confirm if and how much extra you need to pay.
To make a payment you must quote our reference number 21/521463/PCONTL. Failure to do so may invalidate your payment.
Once you've paid any additional fees, we'll send you the search.
Pay online
The easiest way to make a payment is using our online form.
Radon gas
Radon gas occurs naturally through uranium in rocks, soil, bricks and concrete. It can affect our health if it builds up in rooms at ground level or below and you are exposed to it for a long time.
The level of radon gas is dependent on the geology of where you live. Generally, the level of risk in Maidstone is very low. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) provide advice on and kits to monitor radon in our homes and buildings.
For more information about radon gas and the affect it has on your health visit the HPA website.
Pre-application consultation advice
Environmental Health is regularly contacted by consultants and developers to review and approve a scope of works or make comments on a completed report/assessment prior to submission to the client or the planning department. Comments on the proposed scope of works or report/assessment will be provided by the Environmental Protection Team which may include advice regarding further works needed or additional codes of practice/British Standards/policy documents etc to be referred to. It should be noted that that work does not include the Environmental Protection Team writing or specifying a scope of works from ‘scratch’.
We now make a charge for this type of consultation advice. The charge for this service is £85 per hour (inclusive of VAT) with a minimum charge of 1 hour payable in advance.
To apply for this type of advice please contact our Environmental Health Team or call 01622 602460/602450. You’ll need the following:
- Location of the land or site (including a map of the site boundary)
- Information relating to the proposed scope of works or a copy of the report/assessment to upload
- Any additional questions
What happens next:
Once you’ve successfully made the request, we’ll provide you with a written (usually emailed) response. Should the enquiry take longer than 1 hour, we will contact you to obtain the additional fee required prior to the response being sent.
The comments received/advice given will be the same as the officer would make if reviewing the planning application and represents their professional opinion based upon the information provided. The consultant/developer is at liberty to take on board that advice or comments or continue with their application/submission to the planning authority.