Ashfield District Council
Development Advice & Control
Urban Road
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Nottingham
NG17 8DA

	Our ref:	LT/2025/129670/01-L01
Your ref:	V/2025/0696

Date:		08 January 2026

Dear Sir/Madam

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF DETAILS RESERVED BY CONDITION 3- CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PLAN, 5 - FINISHED FLOOR LEVELS, 6 - SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE, 7 - FOUL DRAINAGE, 8 - WASTE AUDIT, 9 - REMEDIATION SCHEME, 10 - UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE RISK MANAGEMENT, 12 - ROA   
26 OMBERLEY AVENUE, SUTTON IN ASHFIELD, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, NG17 3AL      

Thank you for consulting the Environment Agency on the above application.
 
We have been provided with the following information to review:
 
•	Ivy House Environmental Phase II Geo-Environmental Assessment Land Off Beck Lane, Skegby, Mansfield, Client: Griffiths Developments Ltd. Reference IV.77.23, JUNE 2025

Risk Assessment- uncertainties remain in relation to Controlled Waters
The risk assessment identified potential sources of contamination from a historic nursery and a vehicle garage on the site.
 
The site is situated on Lenton Sandstone, which is a highly sensitive principal aquifer and drift geological maps show an absence of drift geology being present which increases the vulnerability of the aquifer. The site investigation confirmed that topsoil was encountered at depths between 0.3m and 0.5m on the site.
No made ground or landfill material was encountered during the site investigation.
During the undertaken site investigation between October 2023 and October 2024, no groundwater was encountered.
 
We note that the report proposes that further site investigation is to be undertaken post demolition on the vehicle garage (workshop). This will need to include soil and groundwater sampling for the contaminants of concern under different seasonal conditions.
 
We have no issue to the site investigation being undertaken post demolition, however as the site investigation and risk assessment is incomplete this means we will only be able to recommend part discharge of Condition 9 relating to the submission of a preliminary risk assessment report. Subsequent parts of condition 9 should not be discharged until the site investigation and risk assessment of the former vehicle garage (workshop) has been completed and the risks reviewed by the EHO and the EA.

We note that the wording of condition 9 allows demolition of the vehicle garage as part of above ground demolition works and site preparation works.
 
We recommend part discharge of condition 9 part I requiring submission of a Preliminary risk assessment.
 
We are unable to recommend discharge of parts II to VI of condition 9 until further information has been provided and in particular site investigation and risk assessment undertaken for the Vehicle Garage.
 
No infiltration of surface water via SUDS or Soakway to be undertaken:
From the contents of the report text it has been deemed unsuitable for infiltration SUDS and soakaway (this contradicts the report summary table which says the site is suitable which is clearly an error). 

At this time from the EA’s point of view, no infiltration of surface water via SUDS, soakaway or infiltration should be undertaken on the site, given that site testing has demonstrated that the site is clearly unsuitable, potential for contamination from the vehicle garage history and given the vulnerability of the underlying principal aquifer.
 
We look forward to being re-consulted on the vehicle garage site investigation and risk assessment in due course.

Yours faithfully

Mr Niall Freeman
Planning Advisor

Direct e-mail Planning.Trentside@environment-agency.gov.uk