The importance of early remediation strategies on brownfield sites
The use of brownfield land, which has typically been developed on previously, is a central part of the Government’s commitment to deliver more residential properties. Thanks to the increasing demand for family homes, developers are seeing the benefits of construction on these sites. However, the make-up of the sites often means that they have been contaminated from previous uses. When using brownfield sites, it’s important to implement remediation strategies early on in the development process.
Developing brownfield sites
Enabling these sites to be used for residential reasons requires a more complex process than what is needed for previously undeveloped areas. Developers have been put off by these sites in the past due to the financial, legislative and physical issues that could lead to delays in the construction process. As less greenfield land is available for developing, house builders are realising the importance of brownfield sites if they want to increase their construction capabilities. In order to reduce the problems with development, it’s vital to have an effective land remediation policy in place at the very beginning.
A good remediation plan
The basis of the remediation work lies in the site investigation that needs to take place at the start of the development. This will enable the developer to assess the contamination issues and decide which remediation tactics are required and the costs that will be involved.
If there is no thorough site investigation at the beginning of the process, it could lead to an inadequate remediation strategy being implemented and higher costs. It may be beneficial to use a specialist such as land remediation company Ashremediation to help assess exactly what work needs to be carried out on a particular brownfield site and the best methods that should be employed to ensure it is cleaned up effectively.
Early remediation will also help to prevent any legislative arguments occurring between developers and regulators if specific requirements are not met. If this does happen, it could hold up the development process for months or even years.
Assessing any potential remediation issues at the earliest possible point in the development work will ensure that builders know exactly what they are facing and are aware of all the costs that will be involved. Without this assessment, additional costs can be incurred, which can increase the construction time and send the project over budget.