What Is an Environmental Search and What Does It Cover?

What Is an Environmental Search?

An environmental search (sometimes called an environmental report or desktop environmental assessment) is a pre-purchase due diligence report that assesses a property's exposure to various environmental risks. It is typically commissioned by the buyer's solicitor as part of the conveyancing process.

Environmental searches are produced by specialist providers, the most widely used include Groundsure, Landmark, and SiteSolutions, and draw on data from numerous official sources.

What Does an Environmental Search Cover?

Environmental searches vary by provider and specification, but a comprehensive report will typically include:

Flood Risk

Assessment of flood risk from rivers, the sea, surface water, and groundwater, using Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales data. This may also include data on historical flooding incidents and proximity to flood defences.

Contaminated Land

Identification of potentially contaminating uses on or near the property, past or present. This includes industrial land uses recorded in historical Ordnance Survey maps (going back to the mid-19th century), Environment Agency contamination records, and local authority Part IIA contaminated land registers.

A "low risk" result does not mean the land has been tested; it means there is no recorded evidence of potentially contaminating uses based on historical data sources.

Ground Stability

Assessment of ground stability risks including:

• **Mining:** Former coal, salt, tin, or limestone mining activity and associated subsidence risk
• **Natural ground dissolution:** Chalk or limestone areas with sinkholes or subsidence potential
• **Shrink-swell clay:** Areas where clay soil expands and contracts with moisture, causing movement in foundations

Radon

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps from rock and soil, and can accumulate in buildings. High radon exposure is a known lung cancer risk. Environmental searches identify whether a property falls within a radon-affected area as designated by the UK Health Security Agency.

Other Factors (Provider Dependent)

• Proximity to electricity transmission infrastructure
• Proximity to landfill sites
• Noise and air quality data
• Japanese knotweed risk areas

What Happens If Issues Are Flagged?

An environmental search flagging an issue does not mean the transaction cannot proceed, it means further investigation may be warranted. Common next steps include:

**Flood risk (high):** Obtain an insurance quote before exchange; consider a specialist flood survey; review whether Flood Re applies.

**Contamination risk (medium or high):** Commission a Phase 1 desk study or Phase 2 intrusive site investigation. Specialist remediation may be required.

**Ground stability (coal or salt mining):** Obtain a Coal Authority or Cheshire Salt search for more detail. Structural surveys can identify existing building movement.

**Radon:** The property may require post-purchase radon measurement (a kit is sent and returned). Radon barrier membranes and sump ventilation systems can mitigate elevated levels.

Environmental Search vs Local Authority Search

An environmental search is **not** the same as a local authority search. The local authority search (LLC1 + Con29) reveals planning history, conservation area status, enforcement notices, and financial charges registered by the council. Environmental searches cover wider environmental data including contamination, flood risk, and ground stability from multiple data sources beyond the council's records.

Both are typically recommended in residential conveyancing.

Property Passport UK aggregates publicly available environmental and property data, giving buyers early visibility of potential issues before instructing solicitors and commissioning formal searches.