SiLC's Background

The Government's Urban Task Force, which reported in 1999, identified the benefits of greater consistency in handling information on land contamination. They also recommended the introduction of standardised documentation describing the condition of the land, with the purpose:

"to ensure that during the sale, purchase and development of land, all parties had access to the same data sets and could therefore develop some general agreement between them on the levels of risk associated with that particular site or that particular use".

A Working Group consisting of organisations with key interests in environmental aspects of land management was set up to take this forward (including DETR, the Environment Agency, major property developers, insurers and professional bodies). The Working Group has finalised the standard "Land Condition Record" (LCR) which:

• is to consist of factual information relevant to land contamination and the state of the land
• should not include assessments of the implications of the information
• must be completed within a quality assurance system, including the use of accredited specialists in contaminated land when these become available
• should not be an onerous requirement for owners or others to complete or maintain.