Whitefield Legal Services can offer a full range of Environmental searches on both residential & commercial properties to land under development. We are partnered with leading environmental specialists Landmark(which also includes Argyll and SiteSolutions), Groundsure, Future Climate Info. These reports will find out if a property has been built on land that was previously used for industrial or manufacturing purposes. As more data has become available and risk models developed, specialised searches have been introduced to report on issues such as flooding providing clients with as full a picture as possible from an environmental perspective.
Our online ordering platform highlights all Environmental risks with an alert which will enable you to advise your clients on particular risks.
Homecheck Professional Environmental Search
Landmark provides environmental and other location-based risk information to the residential and commercial property sectors in England, Wales and Scotland.
Homecheck Professional Environmental search is a basic environmental report that highlights the risk of contaminated land at the property and provides a high-level indication of other potential environmental risks, including flood, ground stability and radon.
This report also meets the needs of the Law Society practice note and Part 2A of the Environment Protection Act 1990.
Each Homecheck Professional Environmental Search report includes a professional opinion from Argyll Environmental, experts in specialist risk management services who provide clear and positive guidance on land contamination.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Easy-to-interpret report with a clear summary page. | Allows quick analysis of the results by both buyer and solicitor. |
| Uses Landmark’s Risk Assessed Land Register, a continually updated database of properties deemed as unlikely to be designated as contaminated land. | Offers peace of mind that the property involved in the purchase transaction is free of contamination. |
| Uses best available data from industry experts including Environment Agency, JBA Consulting and BGS. | Assurance that the most up-to-date and best quality information is used in the preparation of the report. |
| Includes ground stability data and extra mining data for all known historic mining sites. | Provides the most accurate information on potential risks. |
| Assessment of risks of flooding, based on 85 river catchments and coastal cells, including historic flood events. | Home buyer receives the most informed analysis of flood risk to property. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million professional indemnity insurance. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Landmark Envirosearch Residential Search
Landmark provides environmental and other location-based risk information to the residential and commercial property sectors in England, Wales and Scotland.
The Envirosearch Residential search highlights the risk of contaminated land at the property and provides an indication of other possible environmental risks, such as flood, ground stability, radon and energy and infrastructure projects, including solar and wind farms, fracking and HS2.
Each Envirosearch report includes a professional opinion from Argyll Environmental, experts in specialist risk management services who provide clear and positive guidance on land contamination.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Easy-to-interpret report with a clear summary page. | Allows quick analysis of the results by both buyer and solicitor. |
| Uses best available data from industry experts including Environment Agency, JBA Consulting and BGS. | Assurance that the most up-to-date and best quality information is used in the preparation of the report. |
| Includes ground stability data and extra mining data for all known historic mining sites. | Provides the most accurate information on potential risks. |
| Assessment of risks of flooding, based on 85 river catchments and coastal cells, including historic flood events. | Home buyer receives the most informed analysis of flood risk to property. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million PI insurance. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Landmark RiskView Environmental Report
As Landmark’s gold-standard all-in-one legal environment report, RiskView Residential is used by property lawyers to check a wide range of potential hazards on behalf of prospective purchasers. This includes a range of risks including flooding, ground stability, contaminated land and energy & infrastructure. Landmark is offering property lawyers the opportunity to re-order a fresh RiskView Residential report at a later stage of the transaction, for no additional fee.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Easy-to-interpret report with a clear summary page. | Allows quick analysis of the results by both buyer and solicitor. |
| Uses best available data from industry experts including Environment Agency, JBA Consulting and BGS. | Assurance that the most up-to-date and best quality information is used in the preparation of the report. |
| Free re-order service. | Free re-order service, further along in the purchase, to ensure the very latest due diligence is being relied-on. |
| In-depth flooding information. | River, coastal & surface water, groundwater and historical flood events. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million PI insurance. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Groundsure Homescreen Search
Groundsure is a leading UK authority on environmental risks, including land contamination, flooding and ground stability. Its reports deliver the most up-to-date data through partnerships with leading data, mapping and technology providers such as the Environment Agency, Ordnance Survey, the British Geological Survey and JBA.
The Homescreen report used Groundsure’s unique historical land use database that enables solicitors to comply with the requirements of the Law Society practice Note on Contaminated Land and considers the risk of the property being designated under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, together with other key natural and man-made hazards.
This fully interpreted, risk-rated screening report also uses Land Registry polygons, with enhanced energy, transportation and planning application and restrictions screenings.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Combined environmental and flood risk assessment. | Potential risks clearly identified to give the homebuyer the right information to proceed. |
| Includes ground stability information. | Delivers crucial detail on subsidence risks. |
| Identifies where flood risk insurance may be required and lending security an issue. | Arms buyer with essential information for insurance and mortgage lenders. |
| Analyses JBA surface water, fluvial and coastal flooding datasets. | Clients receive the most up-to-date information on potential flood risk. |
| Transportation summary, including HS2, Crossrail1 and railways. | Identifies where a property could be affected by major transport infrastructure projects. |
| 48-hour turnaround on reports. | Quick response allows purchase transaction to proceed quickly. |
| £10 million PI insurance on any one claim. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Groundsure Homebuyers
Groundsure is a leading UK authority on environmental risks, including land contamination, flooding and ground stability. Its reports deliver the most up-to-date data through partnerships with leading data, mapping and technology providers such as the Environment Agency, Ordnance Survey, the British Geological Survey and JBA.
The Groundsure Homebuyers report is the only combined residential environmental and flood risk search available in the market.
Using the highest quality historical information commercially available in the UK through the Groundsure Historical Land Use Database, the report provides clear and concise advice on the risks associated with a property being determined as contaminated land.
The Homebuyers report also includes a detailed, full flood risk assessment at no additional cost.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Combined environmental and flood risk assessment. | Potential risks clearly identified to give the homebuyer the right information to proceed. |
| Includes ground stability information. | Delivers crucial detail on subsidence risks. |
| Identifies where flood risk insurance may be required and lending security an issue. | Arms buyer with essential information for insurance and mortgage lenders. |
| Analyses JBA surface water, fluvial and coastal flooding datasets. | Clients receive the most up-to-date information on potential flood risk. |
| £10 million PI insurance on any one claim. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Groundsure Avista Search
Groundsure is a leading UK authority on environmental risks, including land contamination, flooding and ground stability. Its reports deliver the most up-to-date data through partnerships with leading data, mapping and technology providers such as the Environment Agency, Ordnance Survey, the British Geological Survey and JBA.
The Groundsure Avista search is the most comprehensive environmental search report available involving seven key searches. Each search analyses more than 106 million data points, including data on contaminated land, all four major flood risks, ground stability, current and planned energy features and transportation, plus 10 years of planning data.
Using Land Registry polygons, the environmental datasets are filtered to return only the most relevant results. The Avista report is designed with conveyancers in mind, its easy-to-follow next-step strategies helping to prioritise work at a glance.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| P1 contains the key returns on the searches and any action required. | Allows solicitor and lender to access the essential information instantly. |
| Contains 7 key searches: contaminated land, ground stability, flood risk, radon, energy, transportation and planning. | Delivers the comprehensive report on the property and all potential risks. |
| Includes ground stability information, including information on planned oil and gas exploration, wind and solar and energy infrastructure. | Delivers crucial detail on subsidence risks and whether the property is an area earmarked for energy exploration. |
| Identifies where flood risk insurance may be required and lending security an issue. | Arms buyer with essential information for insurance and mortgage lenders. |
| Analyses JBA surface water, fluvial and coastal flooding datasets. | Clients receive the most up-to-date information on potential flood risk. |
| Transportation summary, including HS2, Crossrail 1 and railways. | Identifies where a property could be affected by major transport infrastructure projects. |
| £10 million PI insurance on any one claim. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Future Climate Info Essential Residential Search
Future Climate Info delivers professional insights and practical solutions to remove environmental risk from property transactions. Each FCI report interrogates all key datasets, including its own high-quality, unique research of historical maps for potentially contaminated and in-filled land.
The Essential Residential Search from FCI meets the minimum requirements of the Law Society’s guidance on flooding and contaminated land.
The concise results are presented in an easy-to-read format contained in just 12 pages, saving you time, effort and printing costs.
Future Climate Info is the only environmental search company regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Analyses the impacts from key risks. | Potential environmental hazards identified before purchase transaction proceeds. |
| Uses search boundaries from the Land Registry. | Ensures use of accurate information. |
| Analyses flood risks listed by the Law Society. | Reveals most up-to-date information on potential flood risk. |
| Clear and succinct results delivered electronically in minutes with “Next Steps” details on the front page of the report. | Provides fast and accurate information that can be analysed quickly and clearly. |
| Uses EarthSense’s MappAir data, the first-ever high-resolution nationwide map of air pollution, to provide air quality rating. | Highlights air quality. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million PI insurance. | The first purchaser and all professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Future Climate Info Standard Residential Search
Future Climate Info delivers professional insights and practical solutions to remove environmental risk from property transactions. Each FCI report interrogates all key datasets, including its own high-quality, unique research of historical maps for potentially contaminated and in-filled land.
The Standard Residential Search from FCI includes full professional risk assessments across all sections of the report. Along with a flood report risk using accurate groundwater flood data, the Standard Residential Search also includes an Air Quality Risk Rating that indicates whether a property is exposed to unsafe levels of air pollutants.
Also included in the latest data is a Subsidence Risk Rating based on actual insurance claims. The concise results are presented in an easy-to-read format contained in just 12 pages, saving you time, effort and printing costs.
Future Climate Info is the only environmental search company regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Analyses the impacts from key risks. | Potential environmental hazards identified before purchase transaction proceeds. |
| Uses search boundaries from the Land Registry. | Ensures use of accurate information. |
| Clear and succinct results delivered electronically in minutes with “Next Steps” details on the front page of the report. | Provides fast and accurate information that can be analysed quickly and clearly. |
| Analyses flood risks listed by the Law Society. | Reveals most up-to-date information on potential flood risk. |
| Analyses subsidence risks using insurance claim data based on the property postcode. | Reveals any incidences of subsidence within the postcode, allowing purchaser to commission a structural survey if required. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million PI insurance. | The first purchaser and all professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Future Climate Info Premium Residential Search
Future Climate Info delivers professional insights and practical solutions to remove environmental risk from property transactions. Each FCI report interrogates all key datasets, including its own high-quality, unique research of historical maps for potentially contaminated and in-filled land.
The Premium Residential Search from FCI includes full professional risk assessments across all sections of the report.
A flood report risk assessment uses accurate groundwater flood date, while an Air Quality Risk rating indicates whether a property is exposed to unsafe levels of air pollutants.
The Premium Residential Search also includes data on energy and infrastructure, such as wind farms, shale gas exploration and HS2, and a Subsidence Risk Rating based on actual insurance claims.
The concise results are presented in an easy-to-read format contained in just 12 pages, saving you time, effort and printing costs.
Future Climate Info is the only environmental search company regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Analyses the impacts from key risks. | Potential environmental hazards identified before purchase transaction proceeds. |
| Uses search boundaries from the Land Registry. | Ensures use of accurate information. |
| Analyses flood risks listed by the Law Society. | Reveals most up-to-date information on potential flood risk. |
| Analyses subsidence risks using insurance claim data based on the property postcode. | Reveals any incidences of subsidence within the postcode, allowing purchaser to commission a structural survey if required. |
| Includes data on energy and infrastructure, including HS2, transport projects, wind farms and shale gas exploration. | Informs buyer of any current or future developments in energy and infrastructure that may affect the property. |
| Analyses impacts on ground stability from key risks such as mining, landslips, infilled land and natural cavities. | Reveals potential ground stability risks to the property from current or historic manmade or natural activity. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million PI insurance. | The first purchaser and all professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Landmark Sitecheck Assess
The Sitecheck Assess report is a commercial report, site-specific on contamination risks within a 500m radius of a property.
The Assess report will include detailed maps of the location and neighbourhood, consult current and historical land use data and include a risk assessment from chartered environmental surveyors. This report only covers areas of land up to two hectares with additional fees required on larger areas.
The report highlights any potential risk of contaminated land, includes a flood screen and identifies any energy and infrastructure projects such as HS2 and fracking.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Assessment of the potential for contaminated land liabilities. | Identifies if the property is at risk of being assessed as contaminated under the Environmental Protection Act. |
| Full range of key environment datasets, including comprehensive landfill data. | Thorough analysis of data provides client with complete information. |
| Flood risk screening. | Highlights where further investigation of flood risk is required. |
| Energy and infrastructure projects screening. | Highlights where further investigation of energy and infrastructure projects is required. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million professional indemnity insurance. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Landmark Sitecheck Combined
The Landmark Sitecheck Combined Search is a comprehensive contaminated land assessment and flood-risk analysis for standard commercial property transactions.
The search is designed to highlight the potential risk of contaminated land, defined under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and meeting the needs of the Law Society Flood Risk Practice note.
Delivered in an easy-to-interpret format with a clear summary, the Sitecheck Combined Search includes professional opinion and recommendations, plus a free review of any Further Action contaminated land reports.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Manual review of risky sites, including examination of river, coastal, surface water, groundwater and other sources of flood risk. | Provides buyer with comprehensive examination of all potential flood risks. |
| Uses full range of key environmental data sets, including the UK’s most comprehensive landfill data. | Assures buyer of expert interpretation of widest possible data sets. |
| Examines trusted and reliable flood data from industry experts such as JBA Consulting, the Environment Agency and Geosmart. | Clients assured the information used is from trusted sources. |
| Comes with recommendations from in-house environmental experts. | Offers clear and positive guidance on the way forward for clients. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million professional indemnity insurance. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Argyll SiteSolutions Commercial
The SiteSolutions Commercial report from Argyll is one of the most advanced contaminated land-risk screening report for any type of commercial property, designed for high-value transfers, redevelopment deals and heavy industrial or high-value property.
The report delivers intelligent risk assessment and commentary from an experienced IEMA-accredited consultant and includes any follow-up queries. An additional considerations section will outline other pertinent factors, and the report will include a robust ECORISK Assessment of all ecological receptors listed in the Statutory Guidance.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Identifies historic contaminated land and outlines if historic activities could result in liability for the property owner. | Allows buyer to make informed decision. |
| Reveals if remediation is likely to be required. | Allows buyer to make informed decision. |
| Outlines any environmental permits held by the property or by neighbouring properties. | Gives buyer full information on environmental issues. |
| Details if current operations in surrounding area could cause contamination or if ecological receptors could be affected by site operations. | Clear indication whether the property may be affected by any contamination. |
| £10 million professional indemnity insurance on any one claim. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Landmark SiteSolutions Combined
One of the key and unique benefits to the SITESOLUTIONS Combined report is that it is suitable for any transaction. Unlike other environmental reports that are tailored to Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act, the Argyll liability assessment is flexible and includes the Planning Regime which makes it suitable for transactions involving a change of use or redevelopment. Regardless of the transaction you are working on, the report and overall assessment we be tailored to it; only providing relevant advice and nothing generic or automated.
Specifically, in relation to flood risk, this year has shown with flooding occurring across much of the country since November and the wettest February on record, flood risk is too important an issue, too damaging a risk to not assess properly.
To provide lawyers with complete reliability, the Argyll flood assessments are the only reports available to commercial lawyers that are 100% consultant assessed and the only combined environmental report to do so.
Finally, we know that lawyers are not experts in environmental risks and as a profession, you shouldn’t be expected to be. However, this can make environmental risks or issues a difficult topic to discuss with clients. Therefore, one of our key services is that every report we provide will give you direct access to an Argyll Consultant. The report writers name and contact number will always be on page 2, providing you the user with an expert to contact whenever you need support.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Provides an overview of contaminated land, including where historic activities could result in liability under the contaminated land regime. | Provides buyer with comprehensive examination of all contaminated land risks. |
| Assesses any environmental permits held by the property or neighbouring properties. | Gives buyer full knowledge of environmental permit regime. |
| Assesses the potential for liability under the Environmental Damage Regulations. | Information allows buyer to make informed decision on transaction. |
| Provides an overall risk of flooding with or without flood defences, including details of available flood protection and mitigation measures. | Provides buyer with comprehensive examination of all potential flood risks. |
| Indicates where a full Flood Risk Assessment is required for development under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). | Offers clear guidance on the best way forward for a client. |
| All reports are backed by £10 million professional indemnity insurance. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
Groundsure Screening Search
The Groundsure Screening Search is the authoritative report on commercial location intelligence that is accepted by all major lenders in the UK. Screening covers contaminated land, a full flood risk assessment, ground stability, radon and energy risks in a user-friendly layout that returns only relevant results.
The report uses Groundsure’s unique historical land use database and a range of datasets from the likes of the Environment Agency and the British Geological Survey to ensure a reliable overview of risk.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Law Society-compliant assessment of contaminated land, including any high-risk features. | Alerts buyer to any contamination risks. |
| Full flood-risk assessment covering river, coastal, surface water and groundwater. | Informs buyer of property’s proximity to flood risk. |
| Examines all existing and planned hydrocarbon exploration and extraction sites; wind farm; power stations; nuclear power stations; wind turbine and solar farm applications. | Delivers essential information on all energy projects close to property. |
| Identifies planning constraints. | Buyer can make informed choice about environmental and cultural designations locally. |
| Ground stability screening. | Delivers crucial detail on subsidence risk. |
Groundsure Review
Expert Geo-Risk Analysis and Transaction-Led Advisory
Unrivalled data analysis delivering expert insight and understanding Commercially focused risk advice supporting transaction progression and completion
Review is not just data – the report’s value rests on unrivalled data analysis delivering expert insight and understanding. Each report is written and reviewed by our in-house team of environmental specialists who can be contacted in the event of a query.
Review is the most comprehensive environmental search report for commercial property transactions. Alongside an intuitive design and plain English explanations, the results are intelligently filtered to clarify risks and next steps quickly and clearly.
The unique and powerful Groundsure IQ engine analyses over 106 million data points to produce every Review report. It provides a detailed manual assessment of contaminated land risk, alongside a comprehensive review of flood, ground stability, radon, current and planned energy features and transportation, planning constraints and optional 10 years of planning data at no extra cost.
| Key Features | Benefits to the end user |
|---|---|
| Satisfies Law Society Practice Notes on Contaminated Land and Flood Risk | Where issues are identified, our in-house environmental consultants offer pragmatic and commercially focused expert insight, deal orientated recommendations and guidance on next steps |
| Comprehensive contaminated land assessment utilising the most comprehensive data available including Groundsure’s Historical Land Use Database, environmental permits, active and historic landfill and waste sites and current industrial sites | Named consultant can be contacted in case of follow up questions and queries |
| Manual review of high detail historical Ordnance Survey mapping in all cases | All in one report – no need to buy another report for flood, transport or energy |
| Operational environmental risk – our in-house team of environmental experts who specialise in commercial property, are able to provide a desktop assessment of ongoing contamination risk at the site | Streamlined workflow enabling smarter and faster decisions |
| Flood risk assessment covering river, coastal, surface water and groundwater | Time and money savings with every transaction |
| FloodScore™ and NPPF Flood Risk Assessment indicator | Easy to understand client ready copy, Review is accessible to everyone involved in the transaction |
| Energy data covering existing and proposed oil and gas sites, including fracking, wind installations, solar farms, power stations, and major energy infrastructure | Supports your professional requirements and is accepted by all major UK lenders |
| Comprehensive transportation information provides detail on major rail projects including HS2, Crossrail 1 & 2, active and historic railways and tunnels and underground systems, including the London Underground | Fewer pages showing the key data |
| Planning constraints such as Green Belt, Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings inform about environmental and cultural designations in the area that could impact on planning proposals | |
| Natural and non-natural ground stability assessment including natural ground subsidence, cavities and non-coal mining | |
| Coal mining screening | |
| Detailed radon potential data | |
| All higher flood risk reports manually assessed by our expert in-house environmental consultants |
Future Climate Info Standard Commercial Report
Future Climate Info delivers professional insights and practical solutions to remove environmental risk from property transactions.
Each FCI report interrogates all key datasets, including its own high-quality, unique research of historical maps for potentially contaminated and in-filled land.
Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), each FCI report uses more than 80 years of industry knowledge to deliver comprehensive data analysis in a clear and concise format.
The Standard Commercial Report is a thorough search that analyses data on environmental and contaminated land, flood and ground stability. The report assists with best practice due diligence and is compliant with Law Society guidance in screening for environmental and flood.
| Key Features | Why this matters |
|---|---|
| Analyses the key environmental risks, including those on contaminated land, pollution and air quality, pylons and electricity lines | Comprehensive coverage of environmental risks around property gives client full information. |
| Analyses the key flood risks, including river, sea, surface and ground water, historic flooding and flood insurability. | Reveals all potential flood risks that may affect the property or land and any potential for insurers to refuse cover. |
| Reveals key risks from subsidence, all types of current and historic mining, landslides and sink holes, in-filled land. | Provides essential information to allow a buyer to make an informed decision. |
| Turnaround of 2 working days. | Fast response benefits clients. |
| £10 million PI insurance on any one claim. | All professional parties involved in the property transaction are covered by the indemnity insurance. |
