Is Topsoil costing you the Earth?

BROWNFIELD REGENERATION remains key to the government’s plan for creating sustainable communities. However, crucial to brownfield regeneration is the issue of restoring the land to a high quality as quickly and cost effectively as possible. There is also the matter of ensuring that the regeneration process and resutting development is sustainable, given the increasing concern over global warming.

One of the most important considerations for developers of brownfield sites is to make sure that they have sufficient top soil to meet their landscaping and building requirements. Historically, developers looking to source good qualitity topsoil have chosen to import it, disposing of the sites original subsoils and other mineral resources to landfill, which can result in signíficant financial and environmental costs.

At WRAP we have been looking at altemative ways to restore brownfietd sites quickly, cost effectivety, and sustainaby to reduce the impact on the environment.

One alternative being investigated is the manufacture of topsoil in-situ by mixing organic rnaterials with existing subsoils. For example, high quality compost produced from municipal garden waste such as grass cuttings, pruning and leaves
— is a recycled product that can be used to manufacture a topsoil capable of supporting effective plant growth.