Records exist of over 25,000 landfill or waste sites throughout the UK. There are probably over 400,000 past industrial sites and about 40,000 contaminating/polluting processes, storage and discharges of hazardous substances to be accounted for, which may have contaminated the ground.

We increasingly hear of health worries associated with living on or near landfill sites. There is always another story in the paper or on television with the Government dedicated to increasing the housing supply over the next ten years, insisting that 60 per cent of new developments be built on 'brownfield' sites.

Throughout the conveyancing process, we always suggest that home buyers, whether contemplating a new property or not, be concerned that all appropriate searches are carried out to establish the environmental history of the property they are buying.

With the implementation of recent legislation, namely Part IIA of The Environmental Protection Act 1990, public knowledge will rise and every home buyer should seriously consider the merits of instructing his or her lawyer to carry out a Home Envirosearch.

For less than half the cost of most Local Searches, a lawyer can carry out an Envirosearch which will equip the home buyer to make informed decisions before committing f to the biggest transaction of their life.

Home buyers can obtain information on a broad spectrum of problems, including radon gas, contaminating and polluting processes, past and present landfill, waste treatment sites, areas of ground that may have been filled in the past and the risk of subsidence and flooding.The Envirosearch can therefore be tailored to the individual client's needs and the report is produced in an easily readable format with detailed maps as standard.

People talk of 'the proof is in the pudding' and on several recent conveyancing transactions for clients out of area, the Envirosearch has proved a complete success.