A Preliminary Risk Assessment is a Phase I Desk Study which focuses on potential risks to human health, controlled waters and the wider environment. It can also be called a Phase I contamination survey, and is often a pre-requisite for planning applications.

Typical objectives include:

• Obtain information about the soil and groundwater conditions within the area of the site.
• Determine possible ground related contamination hazards within the site boundaries that may affect the proposed development.
• Provide preliminary development recommendations.
• Provide advice on further works required for the cost-effective reduction of risks to the development and procedures likely to satisfy regulators.
• Contamination risk assessment.
• Recommendations for Intrusive Ground Investigation (Phase II).

Completion of the desk study allows a preliminary conceptual model to be produced along with advice on the next stages. A preliminary geotechnical assessment can also be undertaken if required.

GRM uses industry guidance which includes:

     National Planning Policy Framework (2023)

• Land Contamination: Risk Management (LCRM, published 8^th October 2020).
• BS 10175:2011+A2:2017, Investigation of Potentially Contaminated Sites.
• BS 8576:2013 Guidance on investigations for ground gas. Permanent gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
• BRE 211 – Radon: Guidance on protective measures for new buildings (including supplementary advice for extensions, conversions and refurbishment projects) 2023.

Examples of recent GRM news stories related to environmental preliminary risk assessments and site investigations can be found via the following links:

• Industrial Site Potentially Hiding Chemical and Geotechnical Risks
• Managing the Sensitivity of an Ecological Corridor within a Brownfield Site
• New Radon Gas Data has Implications for Landowners, Developers & Homeowners

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