Case Study: Transforming Contamination Risk Assessments with Martello and Ashfield Solutions’ Partnership

In September 2024, Martello, a leading provider of independent environmental searches for conveyancers, entered into a strategic partnership with Ashfield Solutions, a highly respected environmental consultancy with decades of experience in land contamination risk management. This partnership was established to address the growing need for more accurate and reliable contamination risk assessments in property transactions across England and Wales in order to reduce unnecessary “failed” or “further action” outcomes of Environmental reports for Conveyancers.

By leveraging best-in-class data and expert analysis at Martello and Environmental expertise Ashfield Solutions, Martello is now able to offer even more comprehensive and precise contamination assessments that reduce the incidence of failed reports and unnecessary delays by 60%.

The conveyancing market has long faced challenges related to environmental contamination risks. With complex regulations, especially under the Environmental Protection Act (1990), conveyancers often deal with ambiguity and are expected to undertake additional document retrieval from insurance schemes, local authorities, and planning portals, creating delays in their process, so that assessment as to whether land is contaminated can be done.

Some of the key challenges include:

• Unclear or insufficient data: Conveyancers often have to request additional documents from local authorities, planning portals and insurance schemes, resulting in delayed transactions.
• Single document retrieval versus lines-of-evidence: when a conveyancer is expected to retrieve more documents, it’s not always clear what to look for, and planning applications, for example, could have 100+ documents. Once the conveyancer has trapsed through these documents, they are likely to have one document, which could ambiguously be described as one piece of evidence. The conveyancers are not environmental experts, and do not know whether what they find will indeed be enough to determine whether a property is or is not at low risk under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act (1990)
• Failed reports and further actions: Traditional environmental reports frequently fail or required additional steps, increasing workloads for conveyancers and concerns for homebuyers.
• High uncertainty in contamination risks: Navigating planning records and environmental hazards often left conveyancers unsure about potential liabilities tied to contaminated land.

These hurdles made it difficult for conveyancers to provide definitive answers to homebuyers and developers, potentially affecting property transactions and increasing the risk of non-compliance.

Martello’s partnership with Ashfield Solutions offered a solution to these challenges by delivering a highly accurate and streamlined contamination risk assessment process. The key innovation introduced by Ashfield is their “line of evidence” approach, which uses comprehensive data from multiple sources to create a more holistic and reliable picture of land contamination.

Together, Martello and Ashfield developed a three-step process to ensure precision and eliminate unnecessary failures:

1. Hazard Data Checks: Ashfield Solutions conducts thorough assessments of historical data, including industrial records and planning documents, to identify potential contamination risks.
2. Internal Review and Risk Validation: Martello and Ashfield’s team of environmental experts rigorously review and validate the findings, ensuring that the data is robust and reliable.
3. Planning Records and Local Authority Consultations: Comprehensive checks of planning records and consultations with local authorities are conducted to confirm whether a property is affected by contamination risks.

By removing the burden from conveyancers to collect additional documentation and providing more transparent assessments, Martello and Ashfield’s partnership reduces the likelihood of failed reports by 60%, compared to standard environmental assessments on the market.

Since implementing this new contamination assessment approach, the partnership has produced several notable outcomes:

• Reduced Failed Reports: Reports that previously failed due to contamination uncertainties now have a 60% reduction in failure rate, meaning conveyancers can move transactions forward more efficiently.
• Fewer Further Actions Required: The need for further steps—such as contacting local authorities for clarification or obtaining additional documents—has dramatically decreased, saving both time and resources for conveyancers.
• Clearer Outcomes: Clients receive more accurate and actionable information, providing greater peace of mind and reducing the risk of future liabilities.

A prime example of this partnership in action is a contamination risk assessment conducted for a property in Camborne, Cornwall. The local area had a long history of industrial activity, raising concerns about contamination levels. Traditionally, this would have required conveyancers to navigate complex planning documents and potentially trigger further actions with local authorities.

However, through Martello and Ashfield’s streamlined process:

• Comprehensive historical data was collected and analyzed, providing a clear assessment of potential hazards.
• Ashfield’s line of evidence approach confirmed that the property met the necessary contamination standards without further intervention.

The report passed with planning consent verification, significantly reducing delays and uncertainty for both the conveyancer and the client. 

The collaboration between Martello and Ashfield Solutions represents a significant advancement in the way contamination risks are assessed within the conveyancing industry. By addressing the root causes of failed reports and streamlining the contamination assessment process, Martello and Ashfield have created a solution that benefits conveyancers, developers, and homebuyers alike.

Through this partnership, Martello and Ashfield are not only making property transactions smoother but also ensuring that properties are safe, compliant, and free from environmental liabilities—offering conveyancers and their clients greater confidence in their property decisions.

• 60% Reduction in Failed Reports: The partnership’s innovative approach drastically reduces the number of environmental reports that fail due to contamination risks.
• Fewer Delays: With fewer reports requiring further steps, conveyancers can complete transactions faster and with less uncertainty.
• Comprehensive, Accurate Assessments: The line of evidence approach provides a clearer, more reliable picture of land contamination risks, ensuring smoother property transactions.

This case study exemplifies how Martello and Ashfield are leading the way in modernizing environmental searches and supporting conveyancers with industry-leading expertise and data-driven insights.