English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, has published guidance on totting up the figures when it comes to Contamination and Dereliction Remediation Costs.

The guidance takes into consideration the extra tax relief available for brownfield sites outlined by last week’s budget and for the first time looks at the costs likely to face developers considering regenerating sites which may not be contaminated but which have been derelict for extended periods.

As reported by edie last week, the Chancellor has outlined measures to extend existing tax relief for land remediation to cover these derelict sites, as well as those infested with Japanese knotweed.

Professor Paul Syms, English Partnerships national brownfield advisor, said: “We welcome Government’s plans to extend tax relief to such sites, as part of its drive to assist the potential of unlocking thousands of hectares of brownfield land for redevelopment.

“Brownfield land development is not just about building much needed homes, it is also about decontaminating blighted areas, clearing and recycling derelict sites and creating open green spaces in urban centres too.”

He stressed that while he hoped the guidance was valuable to those working within the sector, nothing can be a substitute for good quality site assessment.

“We hope this guide will be used as a benchmark by Government agencies, department partners and other stakeholders,” he said.

The full report can be downloaded from English Partnerships website’s publications page.

The Environmental Industries Commission sector-by-sector analysis of how the budget will impact on environment professionals is available here for edie+ users.

Sam Bond

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