Land contamination threat for Scottish homeowners

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by Kay Murchie

The Landmark Information Group, a provider of digital mapping and land data intelligence, is warning that land contamination may be the biggest financial threat to homeowners in Scotland, potentially costing up to a quarter of a million pounds per acre to remediate with homeowners in Dumfries and Galloway at the highest risk.

Research shows that 97% of homeowners in Scotland are neglecting to carry out an environmental search before purchasing a new property.

A report from Dumfries and Galloway Council established over 40 former industrial sites in Dumfries and Galloway that are high risk areas, some of which have been identified for new housing.

The report estimates that the costs of carrying out full investigations and decontamination work could run to in excess of £8 million.

The organisation said contaminated land has been overlooked for too long in Scotland and is a serious issue that needs investigating. The group said if a homeowner in Scotland discovers contaminated land underneath their home, it is not necessarily their solicitor or council who is responsible, but the homeowners themselves who may end up payingthe bill.

A spokesperson for Semple Fraser Solicitors in Scotland said people would be staggered to learn that environmental liabilities are not something that potential homebuyers would be told about by their solicitor when purchasing a home. The reality is that the buck stops with them and buyers could save themselves thousands of pounds by simply asking their solicitor for an environmental report.

Simple due diligence on environmental issues from your Solicitor could ensure that you enjoy the safety and comfort of you home, added the spokesperson.

A representative for Landmark Legal and Financial recommend having an environmental search on a property.

Landmark has established that one in five residential properties in some parts of Scotland have been built directly on top of potentially contaminated land while more than 24,000 residential properties in Dumfries and Galloway are within 100 metres of potentially contaminated land.

Properties built on former industrial sites are particularly at risk. Old industries such as, tanneries were used in the early 19th century to transform raw skin and hides into finished leather by treating the skins with agents, such as, arsenic sulphide and trivalent chromium. Toxic effluent and chemicals have leaked into the soil, leaving the land contaminated and residents initially faced remediation costs for the land to be cleared up.