• Advise on sale of brownfield land
• Due diligence audits
• Soil investigation 
• Preparation of the application file of convenants

Brownfields are abandoned or underused sites. Experience has taught us that redevelopment of this land is often difficult due to the complexity of the soil contamination, uncertainty regarding just what is possible, the remediation costs involved, and so on.

Witteveen+Bos is a certified soil remediation expert and guides clients through the acquisition, sale and redevelopment of brownfield sites.

If you own a plot of land and are preparing to sell it, we can determine for you which soil investigations or other steps are necessary to allow the sale to go ahead. If desired, we can also put you in touch with a buyer specialised in contaminated sites and advise you on making the right decisions throughout the entire sales process.

At the request of project developers, we also perform due diligence audits. This involves examining the below aspects prior to the purchase of a brownfield site. The purpose is to gain a clear picture of the soil contamination.

• We investigate the exact nature of  contamination at the site and obtain all relevant information from the authorities
• We check what risks are involved
• We check whether all parameters and contaminants have been sufficiently investigated

Performing these analyses allows us to make an accurate estimate of the remediation costs.

In the event that anything remains unclear or incomplete following due diligence, our experts can carry out a descriptive soil investigation, during which we also conduct a risk analysis to determine which risks the contamination poses in light of the site’s intended future use.

The remediation design, including an estimate of the costs, is packaged into a soil remediation project, in which an application is also made for the environmental permit associated with the remediation work.  Our objective is to align a remediation project as much as possible with the redevelopment of the site.

Is earth moving required in addition to soil remediation? Then Witteveen+Bos will investigate the state of the contamination, draw up a technical report and provide an estimate of the expected costs. During demolition, remediation and earth moving, too, we are available to provide guidance.

The Flemish Government is stimulating and facilitating the redevelopment of brownfield land by concluding covenants with project developers and investors.

In a brownfield covenant, agreements on expectations and certain procedural requirements are made at the outset between the Flemish Government, project developer and/or landowners, and the involved authorities. Witteveen+Bos can help you prepare the application file and can act as an intermediary during the entire procedure, including during consultations with the various authorities.