Part IIA and Risk Assessment Remediation Tool

The GGP Contaminated Land Data Management application helps local authorities to meet the requirements of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.  The software comprises a database holding information related to contaminated land sites that is fully integrated with GGP GIS.  It is easy to use, efficient and cost effective.  It provides an invaluable aid to implementation of the regime for regulation of contaminated land introduced under the Act.

Since its initial release, the GGP Contaminated Land Data Management (CLDM) product has been enhanced to provide a record of risk assessment associated with each potentially contaminated site.

In June 2004 the first case dealing with the statutory contaminated land regime Part IIA, Circular Facilities (London) Limited v Sevenoaks District Council, was heard in the Magistrates Court.  Authorities should take heart from the fact that the Court in this case was readily prepared to accept that Circular was the polluter despite the fact that they had not brought the substances causing the pollution to the site in the first place.  The case demonstrates the importance of an Authority following the procedures set out in the 1990 Act and the Statutory Guidance.

GGP Contaminated Land Data Management

Collectively, GGP-GIS and GGP-CLDM offer a powerful system for storing, scrutinising and manipulating data on land characteristics, and for managing the documentary inputs and outputs of the regulatory process.  The system provides a database coupled with a series of overlays into which data on contaminant “sources”, “pathways” and “receptors” may be imported or captured.

Through its data handling facilities, GGP-CLDM will assist officers to identify land that might fall within the statutory definition of contaminated land and therefore requires detailed inspection.  If purchased as part of an inter-departmental or corporate GGP-GIS implementation, the data is available for viewing by other officers within the authority.

Managing Data

GGP-CLDM links seamlessly to GGP-GIS to enable the full functionality of the GIS to be used.  The system can load historical land use data, such as that offered by Landmark Information, and other external information, which can be combined with existing datasheets and overlays.  This allows easy identification of areas in which potential contamination sources and receptors coincide, and this where pollutant linkages may exist.

With GGP-CLDM you can digitise the potential boundaries of individual land parcels and other features, allocating unique numbers.  The system will store current land ownership and occupation data together with relevant dates, allowing officers to identify land that has multiple land use, ownership and occupation characteristics. 

Managing Part IIA Records 

GGP-CLDM will store and cross reference the wide range of documents and other records that will be generated as particular parcels of land proceed through the Part IIA process.  The system classifies these records by:

• stage of the process (e.g. inspection, determination, notification on the outcome of the determination, designation of special sites, consultation, remediation strategy, compliance and appeal),
• form of record (e.g. site report, letter, e-mail, regulatory decision),
• origin,
• date and location of record.

Summary information (for example from a site report or meeting) can also be entered into the system.  This means that officers can see at a glance what stage in the Part IIA process any individual land has reached and have ready access to technical and other information underpinning regulatory decisions. 

Another essential feature of the system is its search and enquiry function, which allows users to access information on individual parcels of land quickly and easily.  The system can store location details based on:

• Postcode
• Site name
• Site ID
• Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN).

Land parcels can also be referenced by Local Authority Officer or occupier and can also be searched by selecting an area spatially.  All addresses in the system are BS7666 compliant if used with the GGP-NGz (GGP’s National Land and Property Gazetteer management system), as the addresses and UPRNs are retrieved directly from the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) database.  A site plan is displayed and additional information can be accessed via a link to GGP-CLDM, such as photographs, documents, databases, reports or additional maps. 

GGP-CLDM can also (via GGP-NGz) extract data from external databases, such as those relating to Planning Applications, Land Charges, Environmental Health, Pollution Prevention, Economic Development and Land Regeneration.

Risk Assessment Calculation

GGP-CLDM can now store additional variables concerning the industries, receptors and pathways associated with a particular site and a score can be attached to each of these variables that indicates that variable’s influence upon the potential contamination risk to the site. Using these scores the GGP-CLDM system can calculate an overall Risk Assessment Score for a site and then attach a Risk Assessment Rating which is a measure of how much attention needs to be given to the site.  The application is customisable so that you can set up the variables used in the application and the scores belonging to each variable. 

Reporting 

Producing land parcel summary reports quickly and easily is an important aspect of the successful implementation of the regime.  The reporting facility enables the user to select from as comprehensive set of reports.  Letters can be generated by the system to cover, for example, requests for information, consultation with external bodies, dealing with enquiries and issuing formal notifications and decisions. 

The template functionality can be used to quickly and easily generate a report that summarises the Authority’s progress on Part IIA.  The Authority could use this functionality to generate a report to supply the Environment Agency with the information it needs to produce its national report on contaminated land.  For instance, the system can generate information on how many sites have been determined to be contaminated land, what the significant pollutants are that have underpinned determination and how many Remediation Statements and Notices have been issued. 

IN SUMMARY

• GGP-CLDM is an invaluable aid to the successful implementation of the Part IIA regime.
• It provides a functional, efficient and easy-to-use solution for managing data on land characteristics and the regulatory process.
• Historical land use maps and other external data can be loaded and combined with existing datasets and overlays, giving added value to existing data.
• Boundaries and other features associated with particular land parcels can be digitised and allocated a unique reference number.
• The system can assist in identifying areas of land that require detailed inspection and hence where resources should be targeted.
• The risk assessment calculations can help prioritise those inspections.
• GGP-CLDM can store a wide variety of different types of information all related to a unique land parcel.
• Users have quick and easy access to additional data, documents, maps, images and reports.
• The package can extract data seamlessly from external databases such as those relating to Planning, Environmental Health, Economic Development and Regeneration.