Desk Studies - Phase 1
Desk Studies (Phase 1)
A desk study report pulls together the available information about a site prior to any intrusive investigations. It may include a site reconnaissance visit (walkover) survey.
The desk study provides the first stage in assessing a site prior to development. It is a preliminary risk assessment and contains an initial Conceptual Site Model (CSM) to establish whether there are potentially unacceptable risks at the site. It allows you to see the way the project is likely to progress and can therefore potentially save you time and money.
Although each individual site is different, a typical desk study reviews environmental data from numerous sources, provided by the relevant Local Authority, County Council, Environment Agency and the Health Protection Agency. Site specific information is also interpreted from Ordnance Survey Historical maps, British Geological Survey geological maps and memoirs, Environment Agency groundwater vulnerability maps and Coal Authority Mining reports and records.