Dair, C M (2000) An evaluation of the UK regulatory system for the redevelopment of contaminated land. PhD thesis, University of Sussex, UK.
Abstract
Contaminated land can pose risks to human health, buildings and the environment. In principle, the regulatory mechanisms already exist in the UK to minimize the risks that can arise from the redevelopment and use of contaminated sites. However there is known to be wide variation in way the redevelopment of contaminated land has been controlled by various regulatory authorities. This thesis examines the control system for the redevelopment of contaminated land in the UK and assessesh ow and why variation in regulatory standards occurred. The empirical investigation is based on a comparative case study methodology. Four regulatory regimes, representing contrasting standards of regulation have served as case studies. The focus of the study is the redevelopment of former gasworks sites as it is common for such sites to be contaminated with harmful substances such as coal tar, phenols, spent oxide, cyanide, sulphur and asbestos. The recommended procedures and activities presented in official policy and guidance notes provide a benchmark for the assessment of regulatory practice. For an analysis of variation this thesis uses a theoretical framework developed from a critical review of the main approaches within the policy implementation literature and insights from organizational studies. The regulatory regime is complex and effective regulation requires input, and action, by various technical experts. For this reason the research, empirically and theoretically, focuses primarily on the linkage, and/or relationship between expert knowledge, communication and action for explanations of variation. The thesis argues that the level of commitment by individual regulatory experts and officers to the policy aims was a critical factor in explaining the variation in the standards of regulation. Moreover, for those redevelopments where contaminated land had been raised as an issue by certain institutional actors then regulatory performance was good.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | contaminated land; standards; policy; regulation; control system; case studies; case study; UK |
| Index terms: | investigation, critical factor, linkage, case study, contaminated land, redevelopment, control system, regulation, variation, policy implementation, methodology, commitment, human health, regulatory system |
| Subjects: | psychology, data collection methods, risk assessment, policy studies, business, environmental issues, infrastructure and transport systems, political science, public and environmental health, research methods, monitoring and control, contractual condition |
| Topics: | Governance, Sustainability, Risk Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Organizational Design, Contract Administration, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here