3. Our advice

3.1 Contact the relevant planning authority as soon as the reclamation procedure begins.

The difficulty with reclamation lies in determining the future use of the land, in agreement with the relevant planning authority. The interests of the latter are not always the same as those of the operator; it may, for example, plan to redevelop the site (housing estate, leisure facility, etc.) in a way that is incompatible with the level of decontamination you envisage.

For ICPEs subject to declaration, it is not imperative to seek the opinion of the competent planning authority, but it is advisable to do so in order to identify points of agreement and disagreement. The aim is not only to avoid delaying reclamation, but also to avoid an unfavorable decision by the prefect....