The provision of reliable and up-to-date geoscientific information for the urban
environment has assumed increasing importance in recent years as
legislative changes have forced developers, planning authorities and
regulators to consider more fully the implications and impact on the
environment of large-scale development initiatives. To comply with the
principles of sustainable development, developers are increasingly required to
demonstrate that proposals are based on the best possible scientific
information and analysis of risk. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the
context of urban regeneration, where planning policy guidance gives priority to
re-use of previously developed (brownfield) land. In England, brownfield sites
suitable for re-development cover an area equivalent to half the size of
London
