Gosport manages contaminated land with GGP

IT - information technology - is an essential management tool across a wide range of environmental and waste management operations and services. In this special feature LAWE reports on recent developments and case studies of IT in action


In the complex area of polluted land management, which is an increasingly demanding responsibility for local authorities, Gosport Borough Council is building a detailed picture of contaminated land sites following the introduction of a sophisticated computer mapping system.

Supplied by GGP Systems, the Contaminated Land Data Management system maps potential contamination risks and enables Gosport to meet its obligations under new Government legislation. It links seamlessly with other GGP Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that are already in use within the council.

GGP Systems developed the Contaminated Land Data Management (CLDM) to help councils meet the requirements of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act.

At Gosport, the system links to the council’s GGP GIS and enables the creation and maintenance of structured records together with overlays to map contaminant “sources”, “pathways” and “receptors”. The data management functions of GGP CLDM also enable the council to integrate other types of data and management records including historical land use overlays, site photographs, inspection reports and ownership or occupation records. The solution enables easy access to information with a search and enquiry function that enables location queries based on postcode, site names or site ID, for example.

“The contaminated land software adds to the extensive range of GGP developed systems that we use. Their solutions provide the functionality we need, are compatible with our existing systems and all at the right price,” commented Ken Lucking, Corporate Services Manager at Gosport Borough Council.

In another example of the application of IT in the sector, Accord Plc Environmental Services has a chosen a suite of service management solutions from Mayrise Systems to boost local council services. Accord is involved in a number of local authority service partnerships with MAYRISE implemented at Accord partnerships at Slough, Haringey and Islington. The systems, including MAYRISE Waste Management, MAYRISE Highways and MapNow mapping software, enable the timely delivery of services, improved customer relationship management and accurate reporting to Councils.

At Slough, the Accord Customer Service Team is using MAYRISE to support a new council initiative that offers residents a green waste collection service. Aided by the MAYRISE MapNow instant map-to-view software, requests for collections are recorded in the system and the collection address is matched and verified against both the Councils’ Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) and Ordnance Survey mapping. From this information individual collection rounds can be generated automatically, optimising routes and efficiency of the service.

Adding another dimension to IT applications, Mayrise Systems has developed technology that delivers mapping functionality to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, allowing the locations of callers, assets and services to be pinpointed in seconds. The system is based on MapNow®, the instant “click to view” mapping system first designed to help improve public services provided by UK local government.

The expectation is that “e-MapNow” will give a boost to contact centres by providing staff with maps and aerial photographs on screen that automatically centre on the enquiry locations.

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe