Poisoned Chalice?


I


The industry faces the prospect of more sports pitches being created on contaminated land as virgin sites are snapped up by developers as prime building land.


So, what are the issues surrounding the use of brownfield sites, and where does the ultimate responsibility lie?


Report by Jim Beatty 102


f Sport England succeeds in its mission to lure a million more people into participating in sport by 2012, the chances are that we’ll need more space and facilities to


accommodate them, whether indoors or out. Recreational land, created under the 106 ruling under which developers have to set aside a certain hectarage for such use as part of the planning process when they want to build housing settlements, may be in shorter supply in future, because of austerity measures and the scrapping of local housing targets by the Coalition’s communities and local government secretary, Eric Pickles. What the industry faces, therefore, is


the prospect of more sports pitches being created on so-called brownfield sites - those once used largely for industry. There are plenty about by all accounts, particularly in urban areas. However, the process of redeveloping them for sporting and recreational use can be complex.


Little wonder that developers prefer


virgin land on which to build: there is unlikely to be any skeletons falling out of the metaphorical cupboard. It’s an issue on the minds of sports contractors certainly, who are keen to construct latest generation playing surfaces, but who do not want to find something nasty in the ground when they lay foundations and install drainage systems.


“Land availability is becoming more of an issue,” confirms Colin Young, Technical and Training Manager of SAPCA, the Sports and Contractors Association, which represents those who build many of Britain’s natural and synthetic sports pitches.


“Depending on the size of the project, a contractor may, in turn, subcontract the job of site investigation to a specialist consultant. If the job is a design and build one though, the contractor will probably include that aspect of the job within their remit.” Typically, such investigations will culminate in a report on the soil conditions, crucial in order to ensure aspects such as drainage are laid to the necessary specifications, and a history of the site to gauge what, if any, adverse materials may affect its adoption for sport or recreation. “Whoever conducts them, checks and site surveys are essential to ensure the site is fit for purpose,” Colin adds. “Old landfill sites might be liable to gas release or subsidence for example and, to rectify those issues, could add significantly to the cost of the project by anything from 50 to 100%. Prior knowledge of the history of the site places a duty of care on the club or operator to inform developers or contractors, Colin continues. Those delivering a design and build project that includes inspections will be protected by professional indemnity, giving the client


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