Contaminated Land Advisory Group Minutes: November 2024

Attendees and apologies

 

• Local Pollution Liaison (Contaminated Land) Sub-group (LPLSG) - Central and West
• LPLSG - Central and East
• LPLSG - North
• LPLSG - South and East
• Environmental Industries Commission (EIC)
• Law Society Scotland (LSS)
• University of the West of Scotland (UWS)
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
• Public Health Scotland (PHS)
• Scottish Pollution Control Co-ordinating Committee / Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (SPCCC/REHIS)
• Scottish Contaminated Land Forum (SCLF)
• Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS)
• Specialists in Land Condition (SiLC)
• Scottish Land Commission (SLC)
• Environmental Quality and Resilience (SG EQR)
• Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Division (SG PARD)
• Community Analysis Division (SG CAD)

Apologies

• Building Standards Technical Unit (SG BSTU)

Items and actions

Welcome:

• New members were introduced; new member for SG EQR.

 

Working Groups Update:

• It was confirmed by SG EQR that the final meeting of the Land Contamination Risk Management Working Group had taken place. Guidance in relation to application of LCRM in Scotland is in final draft and progressing to publication
• A new working group focusing on best practice interactions between local authority departments in relation to building on land with potential contamination, has been set up and met for the first time. Membership includes LA Planners, CLOs and building standards verifiers, including the Scottish Building Standard Hub. It was agreed that the terms of reference for this working group would be shared with the wider CLAG.

 

Action 1: Terms of reference for local authority interactions working group to be shared with CLAG

 

Vacant and Derelict Land:

• SLC gave a presentation on their work as it relates to vacant and derelict land. In particular, it was noted that the general trend being observed is that the number of vacant and derelict sites across Scotland is going down.
• It was confirmed that SLC are aiming to bring forward proposals to progress the aim of encouraging reuse of sites rather than new developments.
• There was some discussion on the wide range and variety of sites which are covered under the term ‘vacant and derelict land’ and that different sites would require to be treated differently, particularly in relation to contamination. It was also noted that an ability to more effectively link contamination through GIS modelling may be helpful.
• There was discussion around how much of a barrier contamination was to allowing the reuse of vacant and derelict land, and it was agreed that it is definitely a factor in some cases, but not usually the only factor. It was also agreed that there needs to be more policy drivers in place to encourage developers to consider and use brownfield sites.

 

Action 2: All to share suggestions / feedback on new VDL spatial hub with SG EQR

Action 3: SG EQR to share details of survey on vacant and derelict land with CLAG.

 

Any other business:

• SG EQR confirmed that we intend to trial a knowledge hub for use within the group, in order to share information and documentation more effectively. It was agreed that this would be useful.
• SEPA confirmed that they will be holding workshops to train local authorities on new contaminated land technical  guidance following upcoming publication of Groundwater Directions.
• LPLSG Central and West flagged upcoming Silo to Soils project and meeting.

 

Action 4: SG EQR to come to group with proposal on Knowledge Hub for comment.

Action 5: All to contact LPLSG Central and West if interested in Silo to Soil meeting.