Contaminated land case study - Ashford

Spelthorne Borough Council has completed its investigation of 120 properties in Ashford, and has determined that the land at Denman Drive, Mayfield Close and Caroline Court is not contaminated.

This news will be welcomed by homeowners as it marks the end of a long-running investigation. An initial study carried out by the Council back in 2005 revealed chemicals including lead, arsenic, barium, copper and nickel all present in higher than recommended levels. It transpired that before being redeveloped for housing in 1962, the land in question was formerly excavated for gravel and later used as a landfill site. With these details in mind, the Council announced in 2006 that 152 homes on the estate may have been built on contaminated land, and indicated that further investigations would be required. While 120 properties are in the clear, residents of a small number of properties in the area are still waiting soil assessment results to confirm that their houses have been given a clean bill of health.

The relationship between the Council and residents did not always run smoothly and at one point certain households refused to allow testing to take place on their properties, which held up the process. Once an agreement had been reached between the two parties, further work took place in February 2009, and results released in October 2009 revealed the land had not been polluted.

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