Brownfield ‘elite force’ numbers reach 100

The ranks of a select group of land condition experts listed on a public register by the Institute of Environmental Management Assessment have just reached 100, the Institute announced this week.


A register of Specialists in Land Condition, or SiLCs, was introduced five years ago in order to ensure that the ‘land health checks’ required before brownfield land is redeveloped were carried out by experts with recognised qualifications and experience.

Before redevelopment can begin, brownfield land needs to be checked for health or environmental risks left behind by previous use – a process that results in an official Land Condition Record, a sort of health certificate for the piece of land that is then passed onto the buyer and developer.

Land Condition Records ensure a standard format for information about the physical and chemical state of the land, and can be used for a variety of purposes. The SiLC register is an attempt at guaranteeing a consistent standard in the way the assessments are conducted by ensuring that the experts who carry them out are highly qualified.

To earn a place on the register, a land condition professional must demonstrate wide knowledge of relevant issues across areas such as geology, surveying and law, as well as eight years of experience, in a series of tests and interviews.

The 100th SiLC joined the register following this August’s assessment, and the list now counts 101 members exactly.

IEMA will be assessing more potential Specialists next February, with the assessment preceded by training sessions two months earlier.

For more details see the Specialists in Land Condition website.

Goska Romanowicz

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