Erection of a Dwelling, Whiphill Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster, DN3

Case Study Reference: CS14-12-04

Planning Authority: Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Planning Reference: Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and 14/03001/FUL

Synopsis:

In order to demonstrate that after the development the site could not be classified as ‘contaminated land’ under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act a Phase I desk study report was required to support the application for residential redevelopment of the site.

A desk study determines what issues relating to historical contamination may affect the site, this is undertaken by reviewing the site history using a combination of O.S. maps, aerial, plates and street level imagery, a review of data held by regulatory bodies (Environment Agency, local authority, BGS etc.) as well as a site walkover survey.

The history of the site and surrounds were researched using a combination of Ordnance Survey (O.S.) maps, street level imagery and aerial plates, this revealed the site was initially 1850) the site forms part of a larger parcel of open land. By 1973 the site forms part of the curtilage of 38 Whiphill Lane. The proposed access road forms part of a transport depot form 1974 to circa 2002 when the depot is redeveloped into a residential estate. A building is identified on the site from 1992 to the 2014 maps.

The 1973 map identifies a depot on the western boundary.

The planning history of the site was reviewed as part of the desk based research and reports associated with any previous application were located and studied, six applications were noted with the memos from the contaminated land officer indicate the site formed part of an airfield and a depot.

The published geological maps identifies the drift soils as River Terrace Deposits with the solid geology given as the Nottingham Castle Sandstone Formation of the Scythian epoch.

Data provided by the Coal Authority indicated that the site is not within a “Development High Risk Area”.

A review of the BGS borehole database indicated no boreholes were available in close proximity to the site.

Data provided by regulatory bodies did not provide any further salient information.

The sensitivity of controlled waters was undertaken to determine if the site posed a risk to the nearby controlled waters, this concluded that as the drift soils was regarded as a Secondary A aquifer and the bedrock a principal aquifer and the site being within a Source Protection Zone (SPZ)  the sensitivity of the controlled waters were high enough to warrant further assessment.

On completion of the desk based research a site reconnaissance visit was undertaken, this confirmed the site comprised of open land which had been separated from the remainder of the garden associated with the adjoining dwelling.

Once the walkover survey was completed a qualitative risk assessment was undertaken on the potential sources of contamination identified in the desk study report in order to determine if any warranted further investigation, this concluded that the potential for made ground to be present on the site as well as the potential for the former depot adjoining the site to have impacted site soils further works were proposed.

The proposed works comprised of the excavation of two trial trenches along the western boundary of the site as well as the removal of made ground from the site.

The report was submitted to support the application, the recommendations of the report were accepted and planning granted.