Residential redevelopment of Former Piggeries, Upgate, Swannington

The first requirement of discharging the condition was a desk study report.  A desk study report looks at the history of a site using a variety of information including Ordnance Survey maps dating from the 1850’s, town plans, aerial plates and street level imagery.

Information held by regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency, local authority and the British Geological Survey are obtained and reviewed.

The review of the site history revealed the site was developed prior to the first O.S. map published in 1882 and had been cleared by 1905. By 1970 the site had been redeveloped. A number of in-filled ponds were noted on the maps.

No salient information was provided by the regulatory bodies.

On completion of the desk based assessment a site walkover survey was undertaken,

On completion of the desk based assessment a site walkover survey was undertaken, which revealed the site buildings had been partly demolished with the remaining rooms being used for storage of chicken wire etc..

Whilst the report and walkover demonstrated there were no credible source of contamination on the site, a number of in-filled ponds were present within 250m of the site, which could not be discounted as credible sources of ground gases.

The qualitative risk assessment undertaken as part of the report concluded that the risk from the in-filled ponds was sufficiently low that the incorporation of gas protection measures was a more suitable approach than undertaking a gas monitoring exercise.

The desk study report can be accessed through the Broadland panning portal (via related documents and identified as ‘20130489 Details for Conditions 8 & 9_Phase I Desk Study Report received 071113.pdf’.

The memo confirming the acceptance of the recommendations of the desk study report is identified as ‘20130489 Details for Conditions 8 & 9_Decision dated 141113.pdf’