The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has warned its members to beware attempts to reduce the protection offered to occupiers of new houses built on former industrial sites.

Whereas many such sites are being redeveloped for housing and it is not practicable to remove all the risks of past contamination, until now, local councils have sought to minimise those through planning conditions. Following the recent publication by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of new recommendations for clean-up, however, some developers are now pressing them to relax standards.

Full story here: http://www.cieh.org/media/media3.aspx?id=53488