Help Advise needed with Enviromental Search result

Debt_Free_Chick

No - it's just that we can't predict what your lender will do.

What do you feel about the results? Does it put you off the purchase?

bandraoi

Gravel Pit/Concrete works = you're probably living on what was a quarry. Someone once dug a big hole where you now live. There may be some stuff left over, but chances are it's buried deep.

Landfill site = the hole they dug was then filled in again, and they're not quite sure with what. The easiest thing to fill a big hole in with is rubbish but it may also have been rubble or any other number of things.

In terms of it being a landfill site, the big problems would be
1) Emissions from the landfill site
2) Pollution of local groundwater
3) Subsidence as the rubbish rots and settles in

These however are very unlikely to be a problem in such an old landfill site.
These problems would have existed in the first 30-40 years (with the first 10-15 being the worst) after the landfilling took place.

How long is the house there? Is there any evidence of subsidence in the ground (cracks in the walls)

The local authority are probably interested in finding out what has actually been used as landfill, hence the bit about digging holes in the future to find out. It might be worth ringing up the local authority and asking them over the phone what they think might be there (ask to speak to the geotechnical or civil engineering department)

They should have some knowledge from waterworks/roadbuilding in the area.

Look at the time period when it was filled in too (old OS maps should give a clue), that may give you some hints.

KeepSmiling_2

I have spoke to the Land officer after the lender confirmed they will lend. The house was built in 1970 near the site of a concrete works. The house itself is over an old gravel pit used to make concrete i guess. It was filled in at some point between 1949-65 judging by OS maps. With waht nobody knows. Land officer said they are duty bound to investigate at some point, over a 20 years span as this although 'a site of concern' is not a priority.
So he said 1. Pull out 2. Lower you offer (which i can't see the point of) 3. Try to find out what might be there from the developer (if they know) 4. Insure ourselves incase 5. Investigate ourselves at a cost of £1500.

To be frank I think I have answered myself in that I am not prepared to buy it knowing there might be an issue. However pulling out now risks losing my buyer and starting all over again, which scares me

bandraoi

Whatever is buried there has been buried there for 37 years and hasn't caused any problems that you know of. Most houses in the UK are built on some sort of infill.

Is there/has there been much particularly polluting industry near where you're living - old coal mining, chemical factories, iron works, that sort of thing, If not it's almost certainly just building rubble or household waste. Even if it's household waste, it no longer poses any particular danger.

It sound to me like the only reason the council is investigating is becuase they're not 100% sure what's there and therefore they have to. I would buy the house and insure myself against the risk.

KeepSmiling_2

In the Environmental report it lists all builings/works near or onsite of the property in previous years. They range from the concrete works (1924-38)refuse heap(1924-1938) nursery (1949) laundry (1901-1949) Mental hospital (1901). Theres nothing really particularly polluting as such, not in the near area anyway. It does list an unspecified ground works but I'm assuming that is the small land fill, from what the Land officer said it would not of been on the scale we are used to today.
I guess I am unsure now after looking further into it and the numerous health risks that might arise?? If there was anything of concern buried. I know the house has been there for nearly 40 years and there are no structual issues with it all, I guess I am just really bothered about the ground outside and whether there is anything sinister there.

bandraoi

Provided there was nothing seriously nasty buried there in the first place, which seems unlikely since the house was built shortly after the land was infilled, the main health hazard you would get from an old landfill site would come from rotting waste giving off methane etc.

That rotting process would be well finished by now, so what you're left with is lots of broken bottles and soil under your house, basically no health hazard at all.

There is a very tiny risk that someone has put something nastier under the house BUT, you'd have that with any house you could buy.

KeepSmiling_2

bandraoi, can i ask you, from OS maps that i have studied there were a few gravel pits around the near area all of which are now filled in and under houses on this estate.
If some were filled in earlier such as the 40's or 50's would it be right to assume there may me something more sinister. Or as I'm beginning to think because there is no record of any 'polluting works' as such near by, and only the works that I have listed, would it be fair to assume the pits were filled with any old rubble. I think i'm asking 'how long is a piece of string'. I just can't clear it up in my own head. Whilst every house is most likely to built on something known or unknown, is it a strong enough risk to take? There have been no reports in the last 30 years of any contamination in that area and there is a golfcourse to the right of our house...am i daft in thinking something may have shown there? I probably am. If i'm prepared after taking everything into account to proceed with insurance cover and take the assumption that there is nothing more sinister to affect my family. This search is going to arise again when i sell. Oh....