"Geo Environmental" report - recommendations for a company to do this?

[markharro]

Building control have now thrown a request for a "Geo Environmental" report at me focusing it seems on radon and more general potential contamination although the latter is a compete mystery. BC state "our records show that the property in in a radon zone and very close to an area where historically the land use may have been contaminated". As far as my own research goes the area was all farmland etc under housing was built.

 

In any event I have just spoken to the BC officer and he says that I need to get this report and that its needed for all new build houses he seemed to say. I don't know why my architect didn't flag this up with my months ago as it is now going to hold up our warrant but anyway. 

 

@AliG did you need to get one of these reports? It seems like Aitkens can do them - I really wish I knew about this when I got them in for the soil capacity report,.

[Mr Punter]

That is annoying as they normally flag this on the planning consent and it appears as a condition.  I thought it was normally Environmental Health who deal with this via planning.

[Conor]

If contamination is suspected or confirmed, you need to put measures in place to mitigate against any risks to the building or its occupants. A radon barrier is standard. If there is contamination of the soil, all BC will need is to ensure you use membranes or barriers resistant to that contamination. A report will show you if there is any contamination that requires mitigation. 

[AliG]

Hi @markharro

 

I had to do this for my house but not for my parents' house. It seems somewhat random and a total waste of money. For my house though the architect asked for it as he said the council would probably want it.

 

You have been living in a house right there on the site, you didn't have a report covering it. I made the same argument for our house though and it fell on death ears.

 

A more cogent argument may be that the raft foundation will have a radon barrier in it anyway, so why the need for a report.

 

Your house is listed as being in a radon potential area (you can see it under constraints on the planning website) so I think this is the issue. The area is also highlighted own the map here https://www.ukradon.org

 

You could argue that as you have a radon barrier the survey is moot, but they might insist on it.

 

I don't have any arguments for other contaminants other than it was garden previously. This is where dealing with councils etc is a pain. The can simply waste your money with no come back.

 

 

[markharro]

Thanks very much @AliG - it does look like its the radon area issue that has thrown this up. My argument as you say was that we will put a radon membrane but apparently that's not enough for BC as additional mitigation might be needed if the readings are too high! So that means the hundreds of existing houses in this area can bask in the radon but not us! More £ down the drain and more delay....at times I get so so fed up with this process.