Leeds has a long industrial history which means that many areas of land may have been contaminated by these old industrial uses. The contaminated land team ensures that this historical legacy of contamination doesn't pose a risk to the people or the environment of Leeds. Please see the expandable documents section for useful leaflets and guidance.
What do we do?
Cleaning up sites as part of the planning process
Many old industrial sites are redeveloped into housing and offices. The contaminated land team ensures that sites like this are investigated and cleaned up, so that people can live and work at them without any risk of harm from substances left by the previous uses.
Cleaning up sites as part of an inspection process
Government legislation requires councils to investigate their districts to identify sites where contamination left by previous uses might now pose a risk to the health of people or to the environment.
The previous use of a site can be an issue when people buy and sell houses. We may be able to provide information about a site which can help to clarify problems which crop up during the property transaction process. We can also provide information to other interested parties such as environmental consultants.
Further details of these areas can be found in the related pages section and documents section on this page.
As part of the Sustainable Development Unit, the work of the contaminated land team forms an integral part of the council's drive towards sustainable development and the protection of our natural and built environment for the generations to come.