New build in a radon affected area

londoner2018

Hi All,


Need some advice. I know there are a few threads on radon but none seem to be in new builds or in London, but spologies for startign another one anyway.


So I am looking to buy a ground floor flat in a new build and the searches came back on it to say it is in a radon affected area with a 1-3% probablity of radon being higher than the action level. The developer hasn't added any raodn protection as it is not required by building regulations.


I am thinking of pulling out of the sale due to this. I was wondering if anyone else has been in a similar position and what you have done.

bouicca21

I had a similar warning about my flat in what used to be northwest Kent and is now London suburbia. Bought the place, did the radon test, result showed minimal traces of radon.

There are whole swathes of the country that have serious radon problems. A 1-3% chance is pretty good odds.

londoner2018

Thaks for your reply. I think my concern is that because it is a flat and in the affected area, if I were to buy and tests show it was higher level then i can't remediate it as it's a leasehold...

tacpot12

The test doesn't take very long. I did it for the ground floor flat that we bought.

bouicca21

My (ground floor) flat is towards the middle of a large area identified on the radon maps as a 1-3% chance - but the test showed levels that were practically infinitesimal.

MERFE

I'm buying in cornwall so this is one of the things that has come up on our survey and mortgage offer. Had no idea about this before it came up but seems to be another thing to check along with the mining report and mundic tests. Ours isn't a new build though, this website seems to suggest if you are buying new build in an affected area it should have protection built in so I would go back to the developer and make sure they are doing it. https://www.ukradon.org/information/housesales

unforeseen

MERFE wrote: »

. Ours isn't a new build though, this website seems to suggest if you are buying new build in an affected area it should have protection built in so I would go back to the developer and make sure they are doing it. https://www.ukradon.org/information/housesales

OP states they weren't required under building regulations which fits in with the following from that site

When required by building regulations and associated guidance, new build properties in radon Affected Areas are expected to have radon protective measures installed when they are built.

MERFE

unforeseen wrote: »

OP states they weren't required under building regulations which fits in with the following from that site

Well personally in they haven't put in the protection and you know it's an affected area I wouldn't take the risk and would back out. Hence why I would go back and speak to them to find out why they haven't bothered with the protection, maybe they have more information about the area.

unforeseen

MERFE wrote: »

Well personally in they haven't put in the protection and you know it's an affected area I wouldn't take the risk and would back out. Hence why I would go back and speak to them to find out why they haven't bothered with the protection, maybe they have more information about the area.

They haven't put in protection because none is needed for the 1% - 3% band and that is from Building Regulations Approved document C and also BR211 which deals with the radon protection methods that must be implemented.

Basic radon protection measures are required for areas where 3% - 10% of homes are affected and full protective measures if the figure is above that.

PokerPlayer111

unforeseen wrote: »

Basic radon protection measures are required for areas where 3% - 10% of homes are affected and full protective measures if the figure is above that.

Do you know since what year these exact regulations came in?

unforeseen

From https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Radon:_Guidance_on_protective_measures_for_new_buildings_BR_211

It was originally published in 1991 and was subsequently amended in 1992, 1999 and 2007. The 2015 edition replaces previous editions and two earlier guidance documents:

So current figures are from 2015. Whether that was different before then I don't know but please feel free to get each version and finding if/when protection requirements changed. BR211 is a living document and as such changes and new versions are regularly issued.

Don't forget that like a lot of things the changes are probably not retrospective.