LJN Blog Posts

Comments

• 

  Sustainable Land Management December 8, 2009 at 8:50am

  This is quite an issue for us in Cornwall. Many of the newer residential properties are within post industrial sites and are riddled with Arsenic sometimes 2000% greater than the legal limit. Cadmium and other nasties including hydro carbons are also often present:
  
  Certainly the need for testing is often unnecessary as the soils will certainly fail. Unfortunately the cost implications are serious. Often the remediation measures demanded by the councils are to remove the upper 1000mm of soil to replace with clean certifed top soil, as the waste soil needs to go to a specialist waste unit you can easily imagine the costs.
  
  The regulations seem to be ignored on local council land, which is a little naughty, but understandable due to the cost.
  
  Firstly I don't think there is a need to panic - bunding and imaginative landscaping will often suffice to retain and slowly remediate the soil. Raised beds are a must. And so long as those who have been unfortunate enough to have such toxic soils are able to ask a landscaping engineer, the potential costs can be reduced by up to 70%, with a landscaped garden in the end also.
  
  My biggest fear is livestock. I cannot say too much about one local case; but an entrepenuer was able, with grant funding, to set up a livestock farm, with farm shop and tapped into the slow food market winning awards. Many locals knew the land, it had never been farmed previously due to the monumental amounts of arsenic and other nasties on it. The percentage of livestock with cancers and other illnesses rose dramatically and the 'new' farmer was prosecuted. In reality it wasn't his fault - he was allowed to do this on the back of newer quangos who were dazzled by the trendiness of slow food, Jamie oliver, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall et al. It was a case that should have been highlighted more in a determination to further educate the influx of those wanting to try growing vegetables raising livestock etc that there are many additional factors.
  
  For help with such problems, this site links to companies who can assist - http://www.remediation.co.uk/
  
  Lastly I would also say this is actually good news for the landscaping industry, as landscaping professionals can capitalise on this whilst still being able to assist dramatically in the eye of the landowner. It is very much one of the few areas where the local councils will be willing to sign off a scheme that has had the input of a landscaper in ensuring the risk factor is negated completely by relatively easy and standard landscaping proceedures.
• 

  Felicity Waters December 8, 2009 at 9:10am

  thanks for those issues Cornwall Landscaping . My background is in Landscape Architecture and my Husband operates Toxic Land Check - he is a hydro-geologist (soil and groundwater testing and re-mediation - hence my article.
  
  Testing is very exe
• 

  Felicity Waters December 8, 2009 at 9:17am

  You are right, soil testing for contamination is expensive. And yes landscaping can often improve the site as well as providing as soil cap.
  
  I suppose my concern is that many people are not even aware of this issue until they come to sell their house or apply for a planning permit. Meanwhile people are eating vegetables from their gardens and are allowing children to play in the soil!
• 

  Sustainable Land Management December 8, 2009 at 9:27am

  I think it is very important to note that my comments with regards testing in Cornwall are not the same as elsewhere in the UK, (indeed the EU). It is almost a generic problem here hence sometimes testing is not needed, whilst the isolated pockets that can be found in other brown field sites across the UK can contain some residue contamination that is truly awful. Any publicity to highlight this is essential.
• 

  Felicity Waters December 8, 2009 at 9:34am

  yes I agree, this is very important - once you are aware that your soil is potentially contaminated you can take the necessary steps to minimise risk. ie raise garden bed, use containers etc . SIMPLE
  
  However people are not even aware that there is a potential risk - I am not trying to be alarmist - I just think an education program is required - simple
• 

  Sustainable Land Management December 8, 2009 at 9:45am

  Absolutely agree. I think it will be necessary not that far into the future for relevant landscapers to be linked to the remediation and testing companies, (similar to the links formed by landscape architects and garden designers and practitioners). Many people do not realise that this issue is partly responsible for the contuing decisions by local authorities to carry on developing green field sites. The remediation has to be carried out at some point. However I dread to think what a newspaper like the Daily Mail would make of it all - as you say there is no need to be alarmist just cautionary.