Land contamination and development: guidance for contaminated land regulators in Scotland

Land can be affected by contamination from a variety of substances in, on, or under the land that may be hazardous to health, can pollute waterbodies, or be harmful to the wider environment. It is the developer’s responsibility for the safe development of a site and to ensure that contamination risks are adequately addressed.

This guide is intended to provide developers, planning agents, and consultants in Scotland with advice on what information is required in relation to land contamination to allow the local authority to discharge its statutory responsibility relating to planning applications and building warrants. 

Note: Report author

This guidance was developed and published by Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS) in 2019. In 2025 EPS merged with the Institution of Environmental Sciences (the IES) to become part of the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC).