GROUND investigations are to be carried out at a Forres housing development that could have been built on contaminated land.
The Ferryhill housing development was built in the 1990s on former Ministry of Defence land that previously housed a sawmill.
The work will establish whether the site has a legacy of contamination as a result of activities carried out by the previous users.
Moray Council’s environmental services department has written to residents informing them of the proposed investigations.
A fuel oil storage facility was on the site when it was occupied by the MoD and timber treatment work may have taken place at the sawmill. Research has indicated that the potential exists for historic contamination.
Moray has a number of sites formerly used for industry that have since been developed for a variety of purposes, including housing.
A council spokesman said the investigations at Ferryhill were routine but important in establishing whether any remediation work was necessary. “It is proposed to take soil samples from 28 gardens and permission will be sought in advance from property owners.”
