News Stories | Selected Publications
Hips extended to all properties
All one- and two-bedroom properties put up for sale in England and Wales now need a Home Information Pack (Hip). The rule, which came into force at midnight (13/14th December), extends the new selling process, which was applied first to larger properties during the summer.
Mike Ockenden, director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp), was reported by the BBC News website to have said there was still some way to go to make Hips fully effective.
"For Hips to fully inform potential buyers about properties they are viewing, it is vital that the home condition report is made a mandatory part of the pack and that many of the searches which provide information on flooding, ground movement and contamination are included," he said.
If your property has been indicated to potentially be affected by contamination by a small data base type search, Soil Environment Services can provide your with two copies of a fully UK guidance compliant risk assessment report which will indicate whether you need an intrusive investigation at the site or if the site is risk free.
Please do contact for a 'no obligation' discussion.
A Sustainable Solution for Soil Manufacturing
Transforming a former coke works site to a residential housing development with grass and woodland is a considerable task and getting the right soil to support habitat development brings demanding technical, economic and environmental challenges. Soil Environment Services (SES) developed a soil manufacturing solution that met these demands.
The site at Lambton, in County Durham, had been left with some significant contamination issues due to its historical industrial use which had left it with insufficient soil to support an ambitious landscaping plan.
Bringing soil onto the site was costly and increased the detrimental environmental impact of the project. The local authority and residential community would also have objected to the increase in site traffic that soil importing would have created.
Soil Environment Services was commissioned by Glen Kemp Ltd, the landscape architect for the site to advise on soil design and manufacturing whilst accommodating the economic, environmental and social demands on the development.
A soil resources survey of the existing material on site was undertaken to determine the suitability for soil production. There was also a review of other material that could be efficiently brought onto the site. |
Three horizons in the manufactured soil profile
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On-site pot trials of different soil blends |
There were a number of materials identified that had potential mineral and organic qualities, which could help in the manufacture of soil. This included colliery shale, crushed bricks, site clay, green waste compost and paper crumb (waste material from paper manufacturing).
Through a series of field experimental trials, a number of soil designs were found to support habitat development. Further larger scale trials refined the soil design and manufacturing process and soil production began on-site.
Soil design and manufacture at Lambton has not only provided good quality soils for an impressive landscaping project, it has been achieved in a sustainable manner – reducing site waste, diverting other waste from landfill, being cost-efficient and meeting community needs to minimise site traffic. |
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