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January/February headlines
(issue 57)
Defra publishes Part 2A revision
Revised statutory guidance for Part 2A has finally been laid before
Parliament, along with associated regulations.
Soil directive text
The European Common Forum on Contaminated Land has published a Proposal
of alternative text for a framework directive on soil protection, to “inject
new thinking into negotiation of the soil framework directive”.
Committee slams draft NPPF
The communities and local government committee has published a report
criticising the National Planning Policy Framework in its current form.
Wales to merge three environmental bodies
The Environment Agency Wales, Countryside Council for Wales and Forestry
Commission Wales are to be merged into a single organisation, the Welsh
Government has announced.
Record results for Cwm Rheidol
Results from a pilot scheme to tackle minewater pollution at Cwm Rheidol
mine in West Wales have shown “excellent” results, according to the
Environment Agency, with metal removal rates as high as 99%, a year on.
MoD admits radium widespread
A number of Ministry of Defence sites across the UK are potentially
contaminated with radium potentially raising similar issues to those faced
at Dalgety Bay in Fife, the department has admitted.
Curran becomes SEPA chief
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has appointed professor James
Curran chief executive. Curran is currently SEPA’s director of science and
strategy.
CPO on the way for Nene sites
The West Northamptonshire Development Corporation is preparing a
compulsory purchase order for the Avon and Nunn Mills sites along the River
Nene, some 40 hectares-plus of brownfield land.
Ramboll bags Stockholm port clean-up job
Engineering firm Ramboll will be part of the next phase of soil
remediation works for “one of Europe’s largest urban development
initiatives”, the Stockholm Royal Seaport.
Advocate programme under way
The Advocate programme is now in full swing.
Ivy League researchers remove heavy metals
Engineers at Ivy League Brown University in Rhode Island have developed
a system they said “cleanly and efficiently” removes trace heavy metals from
water.
Wigley joins McAuliffe
Environmental contractor the McAuliffe Group has appointed Dean Wigley
as engineering manager.
Land use change stats
The government is consulting on changes to land use change statistics.
Groundwater monitor
OTT Hydrometry has launched a remote water level monitor, the OTT ecoLog
500, it described as “a completely integrated monitoring and data
transmission unit that uses the latest technologies to lower the cost of
monitoring surface water or groundwater level and temperature”.
Land relief retained
HM Treasury has decided to retain land remediation relief following a
consultation into the removal of 36 relief mechanisms.
Agency FAQs
The Environment Agency has published Frequently asked questions:
soil/land and groundwater remediation – mobile plant permits and deployment
forms.
No comment on land indicator
Labour MP Joan Walley has attempted to draw the environment department
on whether land redevelopment will remain a national sustainable development
indicator following a forthcoming cull.
Clegg announces £9 million funding for 3MG
The Mersey Multimodal Gateway is to receive a further £9 million in
funding from the regional growth fund, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg
announced during a visit to the site in Widnes.
Black Country LEP welcomes land relief reprieve
The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership has welcomed the
government’s decision to retain land remediation relief after lobbying
against its abolition.
Support for directive
Europe’s soil is “under pressure” with deterioration costing the EU up
to €38 billion (£36.1 billion) a year, according to a report unveiled
published by green groups EEB and DNR.
Wales planning revision
The Welsh Assembly Government is revising planning policy. The proposed
changes would see support for brownfield redevelopment weakened.
Home approvals down
Approvals for house construction were down 10% in the third quarter of
last year, according to the Home Builders Federation.
Scots land use strategy
Steps to implement Scotland’s land use strategy have been published. The
action plan “brings together a joined-up set of commitments from across the
Scottish Government, all of which contribute to the long term vision for
land use and the management of Scotland’s land and resources”.
Science Central
A planning application has been lodged by 1NG, on behalf of the
Newcastle Science Partnership, for the first phase of works for development
of Science Central on a 24-acre former Scottish and Newcastle brewery site
in the city.
Contract leads tool
Property intelligence company GroundSure and its sister company Glenigan
have launched Remediation Contract Leads, a tool to help environmental
consultancies “be first to source new work and beat the competition”.
Sankey Bridges contract
VHE is to carry out further works at Sankey Bridges in Warrington.
Regeneration toolkit
The government has published Regeneration to enable growth: a toolkit
supporting community-led regeneration.
Regeneration funding
A further £3 million for Riverside Inverclyde and Irvine Bay Urban
Regeneration companies has been confirmed for 2013-2014 to “assist with
their running costs and enable them to continue with priority projects”, the
Scottish Government has announced.
Regeneration strategy
The Scottish Government has published Achieving a sustainable future:
the regeneration strategy, which it described as “the government’s blueprint
for tackling Scotland's areas of deprivation and poverty”.
Asbestos – soil’s silent killer?
Paula Whittell, partner in environmental law at Berrymans Lace Mawer,
Manchester, explains why asbestos in soils must be taken seriously
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