29 Deferred

Current voluntary soil reuse initiatives may require mandatory regulation for effectiveness.

Conclusion
We are pleased to see that the Government has announced plans to reduce the amount of soil sent to landfill. These reforms are an update to guidance and the trialling of soil storage sites, which stakeholders welcome but it remains to be seen if these are enough to bring about real change. Regulation may be required to make currently voluntary codes of practice mandatory.
Government Response Summary
The government plans to publish revised guidance for soil use on construction sites by summer 2024 and pilot a Soil Reuse and Depot scheme by December 2026. They explicitly state they will assess the effectiveness of these voluntary approaches before considering any regulatory models to make codes of practice mandatory.
Paragraph Reference
99
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government Deferred
Government is committed to integrating the management of urban soil and contaminated land into its overall approach to soil health. The EIP included a commitment to publish a revised ‘Code of Practice for the sustainable use of soil on construction sites’. Input was received from a technical advisory group made up of industry experts, and technical expertise provided by the Environment Agency and Natural England. We currently anticipate the revised guidance to be published by summer 2024, and plan to carry out user testing and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of its uptake. We also intend to pilot a Soil Reuse and Depot scheme by December 2026, and assess the effectiveness of that pilot scheme before any potential expansion. The Environment Agency commissioned a report into the feasibility of a soil bank system in England in 2023, which put forward a potential model for such a scheme. The Environment Agency anticipates it will publish the report in the Spring. These reviews will assess the effectiveness of voluntary approaches, with appropriate stakeholder engagement, before considering any regulatory models, or the need for a specific taskforce on soil remediation.
Timeline
Recommendation age 2.5 yrs
Report published 05 Dec 2023