Where are we now?
History’s legacy to the Lee Valley is large areas of land in-filled with imported
materials. This ranges from the reclaimed wetlands of the lower valley, the middle
and lower marshlands filled with Word War II rubble, to the former gravel works
of the upper valley. Most of these have been backfilled with a mix of domestic and
industrial waste; work that is still ongoing today in small pockets of the Park.
Much of this historic activity was undertaken at a time of little, if any, regulation
or control of waste materials. The result is that some areas of the Park contains
underground material with various levels of contaminates. In most instances, this
material poses minimal or non-existent risk, provided that management and activities
on these sites is appropriate. There are however some sites within the park where
levels and nature of contamination are currently unknown.
What do we want to achieve?
- To have a comprehensive understanding of the ground materials within the Park, and
the associated risks of movement of, and exposure to, contaminated materials.
- To have appropriate development and management measures in place to mitigate any
risks arising from contaminated land.
How will we deliver?
We will
- Prepare a Contaminated Land Strategy and Action Plan, which will
- Review our contaminated land holding
- Undertake risk assessments
- Prioritise areas for action
- Undertake a programme of ground investigations and mitigation options appraisal.
- Take appropriate steps to mitigate impacts and risks associated with contaminated
land in our ownership (where a source-path-receptor chain is thought to be present).
- In all instances seek external funding to assist
Working with others
We will
- Work with partners to facilitate and coordinate joint initiatives to assess and
mitigate impacts and risks associated with contaminated land, where such joint action
is of mutual benefit.