Environmental Issues

Environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important when considering the purchase of a property, either to live in or as an investment for renovation or letting. Prior to purchasing your property, choose Tinsdills, and our property experts will organise and advise on the necessary searches for the property.

If the property is purchased with a mortgage, any searches that result in problems with the property will be sent to the mortgage lender by your property solicitor.

We offer all of our clients who are purchasing a property the opportunity of submitting Environmental searches. We also offer advice regarding which searches are the most appropriate to the property.

Our advice does not end with the search result. For example, if a contaminated land search fails, we can make enquiries to the sellers and other parties in order to obtain information. This should assist in making a decision on whether to proceed with, or ultimately withdraw from the transaction, or if appropriate, consider paying for Environmental insurance.

Types Of Environmental Issues

Contaminated Land
Our industrial heritage and the drive to build on brownfield sites has meant that increasing numbers of properties have been built on or near land that is deemed to be contaminated. This can affect the value of the property involved, could lead to health issues and in some cases could even result in remediation or “clear up” notices being served on the owners of the property. Similar issues can arise if the property is near a waste disposal site or a bulk storage fuel facility of high voltage electric cables.

Ground Stability
There can be an issue with ground stability where properties are near to quarries, or other historical workings, or where properties can be affected by ground shrinkage or ground swelling.

Our team of legal professionals understand the complexities involved when purchasing a home. With decades of experience, we’ll expertly navigate any Environmental issues.

Flooding
Just because a property is not near a river or watercourse, it does not mean that flooding may not be an issue. Flooding can be from a variety of sources, including surface water flooding. It can be difficult to obtain household insurance on a property that has a history of flooding, especially if the government intervention in securing insurance for properties deemed to be vulnerable to flooding recedes. This type of problem with insurance can effectively render a property unsaleable.

HS2
The second phase of the High Speed Rail Link is set to cut through vast swathes of the Midlands and the North. The property that you are intending to buy may be in an area which is later subject to a compulsory purchase which allows the rail link to be built. Alternatively, it may be close enough to the proposed line to suffer from noise or other disturbance.

Other Considerations
Certain areas of the country have different considerations, such as tin mining, clay excavation, radon gas, mining and brine excavation and even limestone mining.

“We were pleased with the service we received, particularly at quite a stressful time of buying a property – our first home! When requesting further information from the sellers, they ensured they contacted their solicitors to ascertain this and prompted for more detail to be given.”

What Our Customers Say

Hear from our happy clients following working with Tinsdills to resolve their Environmental Issues.

“The team at Hanley made the process very easy for buyer and selling a property. Everything was explained step by step with a very clear language I could understand. Thank you!”

Meet Our Specialist Property Team

Legal Director

Andrew Burrows

Andrew is a Legal Director at Tinsdills.

He qualified as a Solicitor in 1992 and…

Legal & Commercial Director

Kelly Myatt

Kelly is a Legal & Commercial Director, specialising in all property and land transactions….

Senior Associate

Michelle Hansell

Michelle is a Senior Associate who joined Tinsdills in 2021. Michelle qualified as a…

Contact Us To Discuss Your Environmental Issues

Get in touch today to discuss your Environmental Issues with our dedicated team.

Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Contact us or today or visit a local branch

Hanley: 01782 956123

Newcastle: 01782 956123

Sandbach: 01270 449106

Leek: 01538 710247

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