Section 3
Aims and Objectives of the Local Authority Strategy
3.1
Development of the Strategy
The contaminated land strategy published in June 2001 was prepared by East
Northamptonshire Council with assistance from consultants Symonds Group.
Eleven Local Authorities in the Lincolnshire and East Midlands area
collaborated in the preparation of their strategies, and have shared consultancy
costs, experiences and ideas. The Authorities that contributed to the group
were East Lindsey, West Lindsey, Lincoln City, North Kesteven, South
Kesteven, Boston, South Holland, East Northamptonshire, Harborough, Melton
and Rutland.
The strategy has been reviewed and prepared by Environmental Services and
may be subject to further review under section 8.2 to ensure it is fulfilling East
Northamptonshire Council’s obligations under the Environmental Protection Act
1990.
Whilst much of the inspection strategy remains essentially the same, certain
sections have been reviewed. The aim being to ensure the inspection strategy
is up to date with current national and local policy, legislation, guidance and
best practise.
The Council will consult widely with internal and external partners and other
agencies as well as those required to be consulted with by statutory guidance.
The aim is to incorporate their views into the strategy. A full list of consultees is
included in Appendix 1.
The inspection strategy may be subject to further review as and when
necessary.
3.2
Objectives of the Strategy
East Northamptonshire Council wishes to identify contaminated land present in
its area in the most practical and efficient way to ensure that the most pressing
and serious problems are addressed first. The principal aims of the strategy are
to ensure the Local Authority takes a strategic approach to inspection of the
district and will:
• Be rational ordered and efficient
• Be proportionate to the seriousness of any actual or potential risk
• Seek to ensure that the most pressing and serious problems are located
first
• Ensure that resources are concentrated on investigating in areas where
the authority is most likely to identify contaminated land
• Ensure that the local authority efficiently identifies requirements for the
detailed inspection of particular areas of land
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3.3
Aims of the Strategy
The strategy also aims to provide a clear statement of how East
Northamptonshire Council intends to implement the Part IIA regime and identify
sites which pose unacceptable risks. Furthermore, it will provide a readily
available source of reference on East Northamptonshire Council’s aims,
objectives, procedures and information management systems for all interested
parties, including members of the public, local businesses and landowners,
environmental organisations and the Council itself.
The following sections of the strategy will provide information on how it is
intended to meet these aims.
The main aim in producing and revising the inspection strategy are to achieve
the following:• To produce and update the inspection strategy when necessary to keep
it up to date with current policy and guidance.
• Ongoing
• Establish a team within East Northamptonshire Council and allocate
responsibilities for contaminated land.
• Team established
• Acquire information required to carry out survey and inspection.
• Many information systems already in place/acquired further
data sets will be added as and when required
• Establish systems to manage the information and keep it updated.
• Systems in place
• Carry out initial desk based survey of entire area and prioritise sites that
may be contaminated for more detailed assessment.
• Within 12 months of the publication of this strategy
• Carry out preliminary risk assessment of sites in priority order and assign
priority for detailed inspection.
• Within 18 months of the publication of this strategy
• Carry out detailed inspections in priority order.
• To be determined after site prioritisation
• Use risk assessment to determine whether inspected sites are
contaminated land.
• Model Procedures (CLR11) adopted
• Provide and maintain a public register.
• Public register created
• Assess new information provided by the planning process, the public,
statutory bodies or other organisations using the same procedures as
above.
• Ongoing
• Respond to enquiries, complaints and requests for information.
• Within 2 weeks of receipt of enquiry
• Review the strategy and performance against objectives and targets
regularly to ensure compliance with the law and to monitor progress.
• Ongoing
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• Provide a web page of general information relating to contaminated land
including contact details.
• Web site in place
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