Scottish Government

Statistical Bulletin ENV/2002/1: Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2001

1. Contamination of vacant and derelict land

4.1 Table 6 shows the contamination status of all recorded vacant and derelict land; under the definitions used in the survey, all sites that are known or suspected to be contaminated are defined as being derelict rather than vacant (paragraph 2.2). 594 derelict sites, covering 3,543 hectares, were either suspected or known to have contamination. The contamination status of 4,268 hectares of vacant and derelict land (40 per cent of the total) was unknown. The survey draws on existing sources of data regarding contamination and does not specifically require the testing of sites. The term 'contamination' used in the survey differs from the statutory definition in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and refers simply to the presence or absence of a number of potential contaminants.

Table 6: Contamination status of vacant and derelict land ¹, 2001 ²

1 Figures may not sum due to rounding
2 1993 data have been used for Highland, and 2000 data have been used for Moray
3 Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values

4.2 Derelict land that is known to be contaminated (Table 6) is broken down by main contamination type in Table 7. Coal is the most common contaminant, affecting 500 hectares (42 per cent) of known contaminated derelict land. The other main known contaminant is asbestos, which affects 232 hectares (20 per cent). Together, these two contaminants affect 11 per cent of all derelict land, irrespective of contamination status.

Table 7: Contaminated land, by contamination type ¹, 2001 ²

1 Figures may not sum due to rounding
2 1993 data have been used for Highland, and 2000 data have been used for Moray
3 Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values

4.3 Table 8 shows land known to be contaminated, categorised by Local Enterprise Company. Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire area has 665 hectares of known contaminated land, representing 34 per cent of the national total. Scottish Enterprise Fife area has 361 hectares of known contaminated land, representing 18 per cent of the national total. Together, these two Local Enterprise Company areas contain over half of the known contaminated derelict land in Scotland.

Ta ble 8: Known contaminated land ¹ by Local Enterprise Company, 2001 ²

1 Figures may not sum due to rounding
2 1993 data have been used for Highland, and 2000 data have been used for Moray