Over 45,000 potentially contaminated land sites across Wales

A new investigation by Friends of the Earth Cymru finds 45,157 potentially contaminated land sites across Wales.

The environmental campaigners and its network of local activists reviewed publicly available data and submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all 22 Welsh councils, asking them to release their register of contaminated land.

18 out of 22 councils responded to the FOI request. These responses, together with Friends of the Earth Cymru’s own research, revealed 45,157 potentially contaminated sites. Since not all councils responded, the true figure across Wales could be higher.

The new investigation by Friends of the Earth Cymru finds:

• Over 45000 potentially contaminated land sites in Wales are not being fully inspected
• Only 82 sites in Wales are designated as contaminated
• Just six out of 22 councils provide a full public register online
• 15 councils have an inspection strategy, but only four have updated it in the past five years, and one dates to 2002.

The oldest strategy dated back over two decades, to 2002, while the most recent was updated in 2024, averaging a publication year of 2014.

Four councils that did not have a publicly available register told campaigners that they had identified sites that should appear on one. One council stated on its website that it had not identified any contaminated land yet revealed 18 sites of likely contamination to Friends of the Earth, noting that it lacked the funds to investigate these fully.

This leaves the public with little or no information about the safety of land that could sit beneath homes, schools, parks and nature areas. Many of these sites are believed to be legacies of Wales’ industrial past, but the risks to human health and wildlife remains unknown.

Kirsty Luff, Friends of the Earth Cymru spokesperson, said:

“We must make sure the land beneath our feet is safe for people and wildlife. It’s shocking that so much land could be contaminated and yet isn’t being properly inspected.

“People in Wales deserve to know whether the places where they live, work and play are free from pollution. Without proper inspection, these sites remain a mystery – a hidden toxic legacy from our industrial past that could still be harming communities today.

“Councils are legally required to identify and assess contaminated land, but they don’t have the funding, resources or political support to do the job. That’s why we’re calling for a public inquiry and urgent action from both the Welsh and UK governments.

“This issue must not be ignored – the longer the delay, the greater the risk to our health, the environment and future generations.”

Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling for a public inquiry into the scale and impact of contaminated land in Wales. It's urging joint action from the Welsh and UK governments to provide councils with the funding and resources to identify, assess and remediate contaminated sites.

ENDS

Editor’s notes:

• View our findings and methodology
• Contaminated land in Wales is primarily dealt with under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the planning system. Local authorities have a statutory duty to inspect their areas for contamination, identify contaminated sites and, if necessary, secure remediation. The Act requires local authorities only to add a site to a public register when action is taken to remediate it in some way. The fact that the figure is so low, when there is evidence of many potentially contaminated sites, indicates little work is being done to remediate contaminated land under the contaminated land regime.
• Under the Environment Act 1990, councils must maintain a public contaminated land register that lists sites officially deemed hazardous. They must set out details of any remediation notices served after a site is designated as contaminated. These should be publicly available, either online or in hard copy.
• According to the Environment Act 1990, Local Authorities are obliged to publish a Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy, which should be updated every 5 years.
• Contaminated land is primarily caused by the impacts of industrial industries, including factories, mining and landfill. Natural Resources Wales lists on its website that contaminates include:
  •    heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium and lead
  •    oils and tars
  •    chemical substances and preparations, like solvents
  •    gases
  •    radioactive substances.