Contaminated land case study - Hartlepool

A long running contaminated land saga for homeowners in Hartlepool finally appears to be drawing to an end. Hartlepool Borough Council have revealed that 34 of the 96 gardens in Seaton Carew found to be contaminated have already been remediated, and the remainder of the properties should be completed as soon as possible.

High levels of lead, arsenic and zinc were initially discovered on land surrounding 96 homes in Seaton Carew back in October 2004, leading to claims that the value of the contaminated properties had plummeted by an average of £30,000. The site was used as a storage area for pit props treated with preservatives from the early 1900s until the 1960s. Experts also believe the contamination could have been caused by ash that was dumped there from coke works before the site was developed into residential housing in the late 1970s.

Defra finally announced in December 2007 that it would fund the £1.5million remediation costs scheme, and the remediation work began in February 2008.

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