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Statistical Bulletin ENV/2000/1 Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 1999

4. Contamination of vacant and derelict land

4.1 The contamination status of 38 per cent of derelict land was unknown, equating to 24 per cent of all vacant and derelict land, as shown in Table 7. A total of 43 per cent of all recorded vacant and derelict land is of unknown contamination status. It should be remembered that under the definitions used in the survey, the presence of contamination defines a site as derelict rather than vacant. 519 derelict sites covering 3,580 hectares, were either suspected or known to be contaminated. The survey draws on existing sources of data regarding contamination and does not specifically require the testing of sites. The term ‘contamination’ used in the survey differs from the statutory definition in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and refers simply to the presence or absence of a number of potential contaminants.

Table 7: Contamination status of vacant and derelict land1, 19992

Contamination Status

Derelict Land

Vacant Land

Total Vacant and Derelict Land

Area (ha)

% of Area

No. of Sites

Area (ha)

% of Area

No. of Sites

Area (ha)

% of Area

No. of Sites

Known contamination

1,707

37

178

-

-

-

1,707

25

178

Suspected contamination

1,873

41

341

-

-

-

1,873

28

341

Contamination not suspected

986

21

620

2,033

93

1,264

3,019

44

1,884

Tested and found not to be contaminated

26

1

2

160

7

14

186

3

16

Unknown3

2,841

-

945

2,356

-

1,477

5,197

-

2,422

Total

7,433

100

2,086

4,549

100

2,755

11,982

100

4,841

1 Figures may not sum due to rounding
2 See Annex Table C for details of council participation in different years
3 Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values

4.2 Coal is the most common known contaminant, affecting 34 per cent (588 hectares) of known contaminated derelict land. The other main known contaminant is asbestos, which affects 14 per cent (234 hectares) of contaminated derelict land. Together, these two contaminants affect 11 per cent of all derelict land, irrespective of contamination status. Table 8 shows the main contaminant types and the number and area of derelict sites they are known to affect.

Table 8: Contamination type on derelict land1, 19992

Contamination Type

Derelict Land Where Contamination is Known

 

Area (ha)

% of Area

No. of Sites

Arsenic

1

*

1

Asbestos

234

18

10

Chromium

9

1

3

Coal

588

46

31

Coal Tars

1

*

2

Copper, Nickel, Zinc

4

*

3

Cyanides

1

*

1

Gases

77

6

10

Phenols

4

*

1

Sulphates

4

*

1

Other combustible materials

64

5

8

Other contaminants

278

22

13

Unknown3

442

-

94

Total

1,707

100

178

1 Figures may not sum due to rounding
2 See Annex Table C for details of council participation in different years
3 Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values

 

4.3 Table 9 shows land known to be contaminated categorised by Local Enterprise Company. Fife Enterprise area has 428 hectares of known contaminated land, representing 25 per cent of the national total. Lanarkshire Development Agency area has 272 hectares of known contaminated land, representing 16 per cent of the national total, and Enterprise Ayrshire area has 207 hectares, representing 12 per cent of the national total. Together, these three Local Enterprise Company areas contain over half of the known contaminated derelict land in Scotland.

Table 9: Known contaminated land1 by Local Enterprise Company, 19992

Local Enterprise Company

Derelict Land Where Contamination is Known

Area (ha)

% of Area

No. of Sites

Scottish Enterprise

     

Enterprise Ayrshire

207

12

75

Scottish Borders Enterprise

*

*

1

Dumfries & Galloway Enterprise

129

8

2

Dunbartonshire Enterprise

30

2

6

Forth Valley Enterprise

77

5

4

Fife Enterprise

428

25

11

Glasgow Development Agency

188

11

24

Grampian Enterprise Limited

-

-

-

Lanarkshire Development Agency

272

16

28

Lothian & Edinburgh Enterprise Limited

83

5

12

Moray, Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise

-

-

-

Renfrewshire Enterprise Company

181

11

5

Scottish Enterprise Tayside

-

-

-

Highlands & Islands Enterprise

     

Argyll & The Islands Enterprise

5

*

2

Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise

*

*

1

Inverness & Nairn Enterprise

45

3

3

Lochaber Limited

-

-

-

Orkney Enterprise

-

-

-

Ross & Cromarty Enterprise

62

4

3

Shetland Enterprise

-

-

-

Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise

*

*

1

Western Isles Enterprise

-

-

-

Scotland

1,707

100

178

1 Figures may not sum due to rounding
2 See Annex Table C for details of council participation in different years

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