A1037 Environmental Report Former Harvey’s Foundry, Hayle, Cornwall Harvey’s Foundry Trust C/O Purcell Miller Tritton LLP 35 King Street Bristol BS1 4DZ March 2012 Report Number: A1037 Applied Geo-Environmental Solutions 18A Plain-An-Gwarry, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 1JB A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report DOCUMENT CONTROL Client Harvey’s Foundry Trust Project Title Former Harvey’s Foundry, Hayle Document Title Environmental Report Document No. A1037 Date Revision Changes Author Review Approved 27/03/12 0 0 PF IP i www.app-geo.co.uk A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. SITE LOCATION AND LAYOUT 2 3. SITE HISTORY 4 4. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 6 4.1 GEOLOGY 6 4.2 MINING 6 4.1 GROUNDWATER 6 4.2 SURFACE WATER 6 4.3 RADON 7 4.4 OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION 7 Waste & Water 7 Protected Locations - Environmentally Sensitive Receptors 8 Pollution 8 Flooding 8 5. CONCEPTUAL SITE MODEL 9 5.1 CONTAMINANT SOURCES 9 5.2 PATHWAYS 10 5.3 RECEPTORS 11 5.4 DISCUSSION 11 6. INTRUSIVE INVESTIGATION 13 6.1 FIELDWORK 13 Hand Auger Holes 13 Building Fabric Samples 13 Soil Gas Survey 13 7. LABORATORY TESTING 14 7.1 ANALYTICAL TESTING 14 8. GROUND CONTAMINATION ASSESSMENT 15 8.1 RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH 15 8.2 RISKS TO PLANTS 18 8.3 RISKS TO BURIED STRUCTURES AND PLANT 18 8.4 SOIL QUALITY 19 8.1 BUILDING FABRIC QUALITY 20 9. CONTAMINATION RISK ASSESSMENT 22 9.1 CONTAMINANT SOURCES 23 9.2 RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH 23 9.3 RISKS TO WATER RESOURCES 25 9.4 RISKS TO PLANTS 25 9.5 RISKS TO BUILDINGS & SERVICES 26 ii www.app-geo.co.uk A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report 9.6 WASTE DISPOSAL 26 10. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 27 FIGURES: 1. Site Location Plan 2. Exploratory Hole Location Plan APPENDICES: 1. Photographs 2. Historical Maps 3. Envirocheck Report 4. Hand Auger Logs 5. Building Fabric Sample Record 6. Soil Gas Survey Results 7. Chemical Laboratory Results 8. Mean Max Value Tests iii www.app-geo.co.uk A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report 1. INTRODUCTION Applied Geo-Environmental Solutions was commissioned by Purcell Miller Tritton LLP (The Engineer) on Behalf of Harvey’s Foundry Trust (The Client) to undertake an environmental site investigation on the site of a proposed commercial development at a former foundry in Hayle. In order to comply with the local authority planning conditions and current planning legislation for new building developments, the site needed to be subjected to a phased environmental assessment prior to any development works commencing. This report forms Phases 1 and 2 of that assessment. It was understood that the proposed redevelopment of the site would comprise the conversion of the existing ruined buildings into office space, with the construction of a ‘lean-to’ type extension on the western side of one building. The aim of the investigation was to examine site conditions, and to identify any potential risks of ground contamination resulting from historical and contemporary site usage, and to make recommendations in accordance with these findings. This report specifically excludes comment and/or advice relating to ground stability. 1 www.app-geo.co.uk A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report 2. SITE LOCATION AND LAYOUT The site is located in Hayle, Cornwall and is centred approximately on Ordnance Survey Grid Reference SW 5572 3712 (see Figure 1). Access to the site was from Trevoarn to the East and Foundry Lane, which traversed the site from North to South. A walkover survey was undertaken on the 22 nd February 2012. Details of which are presented below At the time of the walkover survey, the site was approximately ‘J’ shaped and was predominantly open space, with the exception of two large ruined buildings to the north of the site. The Eastern building is referred to as the ‘Pattern Shed’, and the Western of the two buildings is referred to as the ‘Plantation Store’. From the east the site comprised: A tarmac road (the northern end of Trevoarn), and yard which was, at the time of the walkover survey, being used for parking and storage of materials for the refurbishment of a building not connected with the site. The Pattern Shed, a large stone built building. The building was little more than a shell comprising external walls and a concrete floor at the time of the walkover survey. Beyond the pattern shed was a strip of grass, beyond which was Foundry Lane (although Foundry Lane it’s self does not form part of the investigation site). Immediately beyond Foundry Lane was the Plantation Store, a large stone building. The building was vacant at the time of the investigation, and parts of the structure were in an advanced state of decay. There were large holes in the roof, and at least one of the roof trusses has fallen on the inside of the building. The building had much material on the inside, including baulk timbers (possibly once part of the structure), and various pieces of unidentifiable industrial machinery. The building had a concrete floor at the time of the investigation. To the south of the Plantation Store was a long, narrow strip of open land, laid to gravel. This sloped upwards towards the Plantation Store, held back from Foundry Lane by a stone retaining wall, some 3 m in height. This area of land was being used for car parking at the time of the investigation. To the west of the Plantation Store the ground rose steeply up towards Plantation Lane. This land was predominantly waste land with occasional fly tipped rubbish. Immediately behind the South West corner of the plantation Store, an underground vaulted tunnel was observed. The purpose and full extents of which were not known at the time of the investigation. The following features surrounded the site: 2 www.app-geo.co.uk A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report • To the north ; the site was bound by the Cornish Main Line railway, which was predominantly elevated some 5 metres above the site on the Hayle Viaduct, however, to the west of Foundry Lane, the railway was on an embankment. Beyond the railway was a large area of hard standing, which was, at the time of the investigation, being used as a car park. Beyond the car park was a road, and the port of Hayle. • To the west ; no fixed boundary was observed, the waste land to the west of the Plantation Store extended towards Plantation Lane, a private road, beyond which were residential dwellings. • To the south ; the western part of the site is bound by Foundry Lane, and the Eastern part of the site is bound by a small gravel car park, part of a residential development, utilising disused industrial buildings. • To the east ; the site was bound by a warehouse, which was, at the time of the walkover survey, undergoing refurbishment. Photographs taken during the Walkover Survey have been presented in Appendix 1. 3 www.app-geo.co.uk A1037 – Former Harvey’s Foundry Harvey’s Foundry Trust Environmental Report 3. SITE HISTORY A map search was carried out for the site and extracts of the following Ordnance Survey maps were obtained covering the period between 1880 and 2010. These are presented in Appendix 2 and the relevant historic details are summarised as follows: Period Scale Observations The buildings forming the site are shown on the map. A railway is shown in a viaduct, forming the northern boundary of the site, with further railway sidings at ground level shown approximately 60 m to the east, north east and north of the site. A Gas Works is shown approximately 40 m to the north east of the site. Cliff Castle is shown approximately 40 m to 1879 1:2500 the north west of the site. Mill Ponds and sluices are shown approximately 100 m to the south of the site. A Corn Mill is shown approximately 110 m to the south east of the site. Hayle Harbour is shown approximately 110 m to the north east of the site. A lime kiln is shown approximately 150 m to the north of the site. An Iron Foundry is shown approximately 100 m to the north of the site. A Rope Manufactory is shown approximately 150 m to the south east of the site. Hayle Harbour is shown extending from approximately 150 m to the north east of the 1880 1:10560 site, to approximately 500 m to the north of the site. A reservoir and the Hayle Estuary are shown approximately 200 m to the north west of the site. A tin smelting works is shown approximately 350 m to the south of the site. There are no other significant changes. No changes are shown to the buildings on the site. The Gas Works is no longer shown. The Iron Foundry is now shown as a Saw Mills. The Mill Reservoir is no longer shown to the south east of the site. The Lime Kilns are no longer marked. 1887 – A well is shown approximately 80 m to the west of the site. 1:10560 1888 Two Old Shafts are shown approximately 400 m to the south east of the site. A Gas Works is shown approximately 450 m to the north of the site. A calcining works and rifle range are shown approximately 800 m to the north of the site.