Issue - meetings

Report number LEG167 by the Solicitor to the Council on behalf of the Property Performance Management Group.  (attached)

DECISION:

(1)   To note the position relating to the state of the Council’s land and the adjoining development land at the Wharf Road Car Park, Stamford;

(2)   That work commences, as soon as possible, to remediate the Council’s Wharf Road Car Park Site by constructing a barrier between Council-owned land and the development land and to undertake hotspot removal (option B).

Considerations/Reasons for Decision:

(1)   Report number LEG/0167 presented by the Solicitor to the Council on behalf of the Property Performance Management Group outlining the current position relating to the investigation of contamination at the Council’s Wharf Road Car Park, Stamford;

(2)   The pollution of controlled waters is likely to arise as a result of the contamination and the Council has a duty to prevent this;

(3)   The current provision of an interceptor only decontaminates surface water before it enters the River Welland, the full remediation works would also clean ground water by removing the contamination;

(4)   Option B would only disrupt the use of the car park for eight weeks and the costs of the works would be £235,000 plus VAT;

(5)   Short-term monitoring of effectiveness of the works would be required; 

(6)   The remediation would be sustainable, resulting in the site being suitable for re-use as commercial or residential without gardens;

(7)   An application has been submitted to DEFRA’s Capital Project Programme. Options A and B, during initial discussions, have been identified as favourable because they present a sustainable solution.

Alternative Options considered and assessed:

(1)   Constructing a barrier only (option A): rejected as the Council would be totally reliant on the barrier for providing protection;

(2)   Complete source removal by dig and dump and installation of barrier (option C): rejected because of longer-term and complete disruption to car park and works would not provide sustainable remediation thereby reducing the chance of receiving a grant from DEFRA.