Environmental Reports: Critical to Any Planned Development
November 16th, 2010
Anyone in the property industry will know that getting highly detailed environmental reports is critical to any planned investment or development. Environmental reports allow the prospective buyer or developer to get an immediate snapshot of the lay of the land and, depending on the report criteria, can unearth and detail key aspects that must be considered.
Environmental reports start by producing an aerial photograph of the area in question. The old adage that a picture paints a thousand words is very applicable here as an aerial photo within environmental reports quickly highlights and showcases any issues that need consideration.
Next, depending on the criteria of the environmental reports, the study will start to fully disclose the history of the area or land in question. Key issues such as whether any mining has been carried out on the land, whether there has been any infill on a previous quarry or landfill in the area will be considered. Fully understanding these critical issues is imperative to ensure that development of the land is not endangered, that the type of development is appropriate or simply that an investment or purchase is secure.
Environmental reports also look thoroughly at the geology. By considering the bedrock and any other mineral sublayers, the reports can give a clear indication of
the viability of a potential plot and allow clients to make informed decisions by forewarning them of any potential issues.
Where environmental reports excel is by collating data from multiple sources. In the United Kingdom and other countries, local authorities, planning agencies and other institutions hold plenty of current and historical data on property but to gather all the relevant information is a painstakingly laborious process that is best left to the professionals. These consultants will have ready access to the most authoritative sources of information that are compiled within environmental reports.
