§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria followed by his Department in approving industrial housing developments on land which is known to be contaminated by asbestos deposits; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsAll planning applications are considered on their merits. Where land contamination is involved, it can be a material planning consideration. In such cases, before granting planning permission, local planning authorities should be satisfied that the development proposals include work to deal with any unacceptable risks to health or the environment and make the site suitable for its intended use.
Planning advice for development on contaminated land is contained in planning policy guidance note 23 "Planning and Pollution Control", published earlier this month.
Advice on the investigation, assessment and treatment of asbestos-contaminated sites is provided by the 458W inter-departmental committee on the redevelopment of contaminated land guidance note 64/85, 2nd edition October 1990, "Asbestos on Contaminated Land".