Contaminated land case study - Mosstodloch, Morayshire

Ground investigations carried out at a Moray housing development, built on the site of a former sawmill, have found no significant levels of contamination.

Moray Council’s environmental health team took soil samples from a number of sites within Mossmill Park at Mosstodloch, to establish whether the land had been contaminated as a result of activities carried out over a fifty-year period, when the sawmill was in operation.

Of the samples taken, only one was found to have a level of contamination above the appropriate levels, with bonfires and coal ash cited as being the probable sources.

A Moray Council spokesman said no further investigation was required elsewhere, and a letter had been sent to residents informing them of the outcome of the tests. "The site as a whole is not considered to constitute contaminated land, and there is no evidence from the investigations to suggest that there is a risk to residents."

The spokesman added, "Prior to these investigations, property transactions had been hampered by the potential contamination, whereas this impediment to sales will now be removed."

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