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Posted By smithy09
Good morning, i am hoping someone can help me out please. I am looking to build a house on an old petrol station site. I do not wish to remove the tanks, but to purge them and fill with concrete. There is a water main that already services the next door property but planning have said this will need to be protected due to possible contamination.
I require to produce a method statement for planners and i was hoping someone could provide me with a template please. I really just need a starting point for this document.
All help greatfully recieved.
Thanks.
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Posted By FAH
Smithy - an interesting request!
Could you provide a little more info please so that we can focus on providing the most relevant advice?
Is this a private development in that you're doing it yourself to live in yourself?
Is it in the UK?
Do you already have the relevant planning permissions?
Why are you producing a "Method Statement" for the planners?
Frank Hallett
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Posted By smithy09
Thanks for your response Frank.
Yes this is a private development.
the method statement is necessary to answer questions raised by the planners before i proceed. I would like to provide them with a method statement so there is no misunderstanding on how i take this forward. I really just need a layout to "fill in the blanks" so to speak.
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Posted By FAH
OK smithy
I trust that you won't be offended by my response!
This is definitely something that you should get a suitable professional [given the site, competence in the relevant environmental issues is paramount as well as H&S] to assist you.
I accept that as a private development you're trying to save the pennies but this is one area where you would be best advised to spend now rather than potentially a lot more later.
You could start by going to the Environment Agency web-site, but I still think that you should get professional that can demonstrate a relevant Professional Indemnity Insurance to assist.
Sorry for being so negative, but that's how I see it.
Frank Hallett
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Posted By paulw71
You should also consider having the soil tested for hazardous materials, heavy metals etc due to the previous use of the land.
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Posted By Arran Linton - Smith
If you are able to get access to BS:6187 ‘Code of practice for demolition’, you will find that much of the information you require is written within this document.
Your planners will probably use this document anyway in order to check your method statement.
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Posted By SteveD-M
You should really have an environmental assessment completed to ensure there are no contamination issues. I have just finished defending one such development after 5 years....
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Posted By Chas
You may find the Env Agency document PPG27 of use. It refers to the Blue Book (ISBN 0852932170) which covers various petrol tank issues including the decommissioning of underground tanks. Hope this helps.
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Posted By Crim
Many years ago when in the fire brigade I turned out to a smell of petrol in a dwelling house basement.
On arrival the smell was immediately evident and I used an explosimeter to detect the petrol which was dripping through to the basement from the ground above.
The house was situated around the corner from a petrol station and the cause of the petrol leak was a defective pipe leading from the underground petrol storage tank to the pump, and petrol leaking out and traveling underground to the first basement it happened to come across.
No recommendation here but an observation for you to think about?
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Posted By Lwood
I would certainly have the tanks removed and hve the soil tested. The real problem you will face is the drop in value of the property in the years to come.
Consider any future purchaser will look to get you to drop the price by saying you didn't do all that was required.As an example you would expect to have a valuation drop of at least 50% on land value if you have not removed the tanks and checked the soil!
Invest now to save later
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Posted By Ron Hunter
There is increasing pressure and Government lead initiatives to encourage the development of former "Brownfield Sites". A "Google" search on 'brownfield development' may be useful to you.
Ideally, site survey and examination by environmental specialists should be commissioned before purchase, otherwise you're in "caveat emptor" territory.
There may well be other, older tanks elsewhere on the site, there may also be a drainage interceptor and a labryinth of other abandoned fuel lines.
Your Local Petroleum Licensing Authority will usually have historice records for the Site, and it may be worth giving them a call.
Otherwise Smithy, I can only advise that you invest in the Services of a competent specialist ground environment/remediation engineering consultancy to have some test bores,analysis etc conducted.In the absence of old records, some ground mapping radar/ultrasound work might be needed too. Not cheap, but could save so much grief in attempting to process an application through the Planning Authorities. Also a very wise investment before purchase of the land is considered.
Older Petrol Filling Stations, with single-skinned steel tanks (usually encased in concrete, but occasionally bedded in sand, or contained within brick vaults, may have been leaking for decades, and the ground contamination may require extensive removal and remediation to allow for residential development.
There may be grants available for this? It would be nice to think there were, given the Government led initiative to use brownfield sites in favour of greenfield.
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