You may have found a great site with development potential on either:
1. An old mechanic's garage. This would have been used for vehicle maintenance and storage of fuels, oils, paints, and other chemicals.
2. An old petrol station.
Over time, petrol and oil can leak into the soil, leading to long-term contamination. There may also be underground storage tanks, causing considerable threat to the integrity of the soil. This poses a major health risk, especially if the land is repurposed for residential use. Soil testing is essential before any construction begins - there are companies that do soil testing, so before you go too far with a planning application, get the soil tested - even if an old garage or petrol station is within 100 meters of your site. If there is contamination, this could add a significant cost to your build. Banks will also ask for a soil test to be done, so get your due diligence out of the way first!
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