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Second-hand land 'puts new homes at risk'

Wednesday, 23 March 2011 8:36 AM

Many new homes built on previously used land will experience problems in the years to come, according to research from LV=.

The insurance provider this week said 74,000 properties experienced problems including flooding and other kinds of contamination due to their location during the past decade.

In the coming ten years, it added that another 500,000 homes will be built on land previously used for industrial purposes, putting even more households at risk of experiencing an influx of water or harmful substances.

LV= managing director John O'Roarke said: "With many new properties being built on second-hand land, it's vital that potential buyers carry out adequate checks to find out what their new property is built on."

He added, however, that protecting the remaining greenfield land that exists across the country is equally important, making brownfield sites the primary target for future construction efforts.

In 2010 alone, an estimated 20,000 new-build properties were placed on land contaminated by industrial activity, which needed cleaning before residential construction could safely begin.

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