The Challenge
Arthian provided contaminated land support for a major electricity network infrastructure improvement project in London delivered under a Development Consent Order (DCO). The scheme involved the reconductoring of 53 existing electricity pylons, the demolition of one existing pylon and the construction of two new pylons across five Local Planning Authority areas.
The project required the management of contaminated land risks across a large number of sites, stakeholders and contractors while maintaining compliance with DCO requirements and programme timescales. Existing and proposed infrastructure locations each presented different environmental considerations, requiring site-specific risk assessments to identify potential contaminant linkages and determine whether further investigation, mitigation or controls were necessary. The scale of the project, combined with the need to coordinate multiple assessments and engage with regulators and delivery partners, created a complex technical and project management challenge.
The Solution
Working closely with delivery partners throughout the contractual chain, Arthian provided contaminated land and environmental risk management support across the project lifecycle. This included preparing bespoke contaminated land risk assessments for each existing pylon location, contributing to five Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs), and undertaking a Tier 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) and Foundation Works Risk Assessment (FWRA) for the proposed new pylon locations.
The Tier 1 PRA was completed in accordance with the Environment Agency’s Land Contamination Risk Management framework, incorporating detailed contaminant linkage assessments to identify potential source-pathway-receptor relationships and determine where additional investigation or mitigation may be required.
For the proposed infrastructure works, Arthian also prepared a Foundation Works Risk Assessment in line with Environment Agency and CL:AIRE guidance. Using detailed foundation designs, contractor method statements and available site investigation data, the assessment evaluated potential pollutant migration pathways associated with foundation and piling activities and identified appropriate mitigation measures where necessary.
Given the volume of assessments required across multiple sites, Arthian implemented a robust project management and quality assurance process to ensure technical consistency and timely delivery. The team worked closely with project partners, DCO specialists and regulators through regular coordination meetings and stakeholder engagement.
By delivering proportionate, risk-based assessments and maintaining close collaboration across the wider project team, Arthian helped ensure contaminated land risks were effectively managed, supporting regulatory compliance and enabling the successful delivery of this strategically important infrastructure upgrade.
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