Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who are CLR Services Ltd?
CLR Services is the trading name of Contaminated Land Reporting Ltd. We are a team of specialist consultants conducting contaminated land and environmental assessment for commercial and private clients. The company is owned by WPA UK Holdings Ltd.
2. Who is the Landmark Information Group?
Landmark is Britain's leading supplier of land and property search information. They provide digital mapping, planning and environmental risk information. Visit the Landmark Information Group website.
3. What is the Landmark data and how is it screened?
The Landmark data is concerned with land use and, amongst other factors, the potential for pollution. It has been collected by Landmark from a comprehensive list of regulators, agencies, utility companies, aerial photographic archives, historic map archives and public records. Landmark has mapped the collected data. Using a third party screening tool the data is interrogated for potential pollutant linkages. This is a theoretical linkage between potential contamination and a receptor such as humans, water and ecosystems through a pathway such as leaching into water, direct ingestion and plant uptake. If any possibility of a pollutant linkage is indicated the screening tool will rank the linkage and a high ranking may indicate that the regulator for contaminated land could have an interest in considering the land as an issue under the contaminated land legislation of the United Kingdom. If there are no high ranking linkages the screening tool will indicate a pass.
4. What protection is afforded by the Landmark and CLR-Services?
The Envirosearch product from Landmark is covered by the Landmark £50,000 conditional offer of contribution towards remediation within three years should action dictate that the person who contaminated the site is an appropriate person with liability under PartIIa of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This offer extends to the CLR-Services. In addition, an insurance product with a more comprehensive cover is available. Further details on such protection are available on application.
5. What does a 'pass' certificate mean in the screening process?
Your site or property now has a documented (conditional) assessment of the likelihood of the regulator for contaminated land considering the land to be contaminated as defined in Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. A pass indicates that designation as 'contaminated land' is an unlikely scenario in the opinion of the profesionals who manage the screening tool. It is a helpful document in the presentation of a property in a 'home information pack'.
6. Should I be concerned if my screening report does not contain a 'pass' certificate?
The screening tool only provides an indication of likelihood that land may be designated as 'contaminated land' by the regulator. It is not a statement from the regulator and it is only based on the Landmark data. The regulators will hold additional information concerning recent action under the planning regime, their inspection activities and categorising of sites for prioritising any potential for action under the contaminated land legislation. It would be prudent to approach the regulators with appropriate questions. CLR-Services involves this process and it is undertaken by consultants who work closely with the regulators of contaminated land, assisting them in their duties.
7. What are the principle advantages in obtaining a CLR-Services report?
Unlike simple data screening a professional opinion is derived from the answers to carefully crafted questions and the working databases of the regulators. This opinion will be based on regulatory and pollution control activities. It will also include consideration of records concerning site actions to attend to contamination issues. In many instances it will mean that it can be confirmed that the regulators will not be concerned with the site whilst the site remains in its current use. The report will provide an indication of whether or not consideration of contamination will be an important factor in the planning regime in the future. Such a report will have more meaning to potential purchasers in a 'home information pack', or a marketing presentation in a commercial context, as the position of the regulators themselves will be apparent. Most interested parties will already have obtained a screening report that may have given a negative impression of potential contamination issues. A CLR-Services report will correctly guide the outcome and could well reverse the impression.
8. What kind of options need to be considered if there are significant issues with contamination at a site?
A CLR-Services report may confirm issues and indicate specific significant pollutant linkages involving contamination that will be of interest to the regulators. It will also become apparent if there are outstanding requirements to attend to, or further investigate regarding pollutant linkages (see question 3 for elaboration on the meaning of pollutant linkage). In the concluding comments the CLR-Services report will provide outline guidance for the further consideration of contamination and the process for making a parcel of land suitable for a specific use.
9. What is the significance of the other data and questions for assessment concerning parameters such as air quality, noise, light, traffic hazard, radon gas, ecological profiles, archaeological interests?
The principle area of concern for the value of a property is contamination of the ground and associated groundwater. This is because liabilities are closely tied to site operators, owners and occupiers. Additionally these other areas of concern will affect the general character of the site and its marketability. Information provided from CLR-Services searches and questions will make for a more comprehensive assessment of the Environmental concerns and their management, and possibly their potential for impact on an investment. Clients may choose what factors to include in the searches in addition to the standard land contamination questions. Clients may also add their own questions tailored to specific intentions.