Contaminated Land Investigations

Bury Fire Station, Bury

KEY FACTS

Who

Bury Council

What

Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment and Phase 2 Site Investigation 

Where

Bury Fire Station, Bury, Greater Manchester

How long

1 day, with 3 months of ongoing gas monitoring

THE PROJECT

The LK Group was appointed to carry out site investigation works for Bury Council on the site of the former fire station located in Bury town centre.

For some time, the site had lain derelict after the construction of a new, replacement fire station at another location in 2012 and the fire station building was demolished to floor slab level, in 2019.

As the landowners, The Council required a comprehensive package of information relating to the current geo-environmental condition of the site, to enable them to obtain ‘best value’ from a future sale. 

THE SOLUTION

We proposed a scope of investigation works, while initially advising the completion of a Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) to confirm their suitability.

Based on the findings of the PRA, a detailed site investigation was carried out comprising of land drilling with window sample boreholes, machine excavated trial pits, and environmental sampling. This was tailored to the historical uses and potential sources of contamination.

The works also comprised of gas monitoring over a three-month period and a preliminary geotechnical assessment of the ground conditions.   

THE BENEFIT

Our reports concluded that although some contamination was present on the site, it was far more limited than could be expected, given its historical use.

The high-quality report we produced enabled our client to gain best value for the land by attracting more market interest.

Not only did our reports offer reassurance to prospective bidders on the commercial viability of the land, but they also prevented potential purchasers from seeking to negotiate down an offer due to below ground uncertainty.