The environmental search, carried out by your property conveyancing solicitor, provides useful information about the environment in which the property you intend to purchase is situated. The search reveals entries in connection with flooding, land contamination, ground movement, energy and infrastructure, radon gas, and much more. 

 

As you can see, the search provides a ream of valuable information, that can assist you in your property purchase. See our Preston solicitors’ blog on the importance of conveyancing searches, here. 

 

The question we all want to know, though, is how is COVID-19 affecting us. Well, the answer is, in more ways than we may have ever imagined. Rest assured that MG Legal’s property solicitors in Preston are still on hand to assist you, and guide you through the conveyancing process smoothly. See our blog in which we explain the steps that our team have been taking, in order that our five-star service may remain, and, more particularly, those relating to your conveyancing searches, here. 

One major environmental impact that our team have observed, is the reduction in air pollution levels. With more people staying, and working, from home, there are less vehicles on the road, less people using public transport, less flights leaving and arriving and more of us taking a stroll to the local park as part of our daily permitted exercise. This immense reduction has seen a change in our air pollution levels. 

 

According to the World Health Organization, approximately seven million people are killed as a result of air pollution worldwide, each year. This is an astounding amount and has been specifically linked to respiratory conditions that, given the current climate, could be fatal. See more from the World Health Organization. With data confirming that 9/10 people breathe in air that is polluted at high levels, the current lockdown restrictions have seen benefits, worldwide, in such levels. 

 

Follow the link, where you can view a daily forecast for air pollution levels for the next few days, together with the latest measured air quality levels. The site further provides for an air quality index, which notes how the current air pollutant levels may affect our health. Given the current times we are in, this is extremely useful as our health is now more important than ever. See today’s readings against the index, and the subsequent advice. 

 

See the significance of the reductions for yourself. Here is a graph which makes comparison of air pollution levels in March-April 2019, to 2020. As you can see, the difference is vast and, in some cases, has more than halved in terms of NO2 emissions. 

 

With the current times resulting in a significant decrease of such pollutants, clean air campaigner Jenny Bates, of ‘Friends of the Earth’, has commented that “seeing this drop in air pollution shows that less traffic can quickly lead to cleaner air”, and the UK only plans to extend this. There are current government plans, of around £250 million, to address the need for more cycle lanes, and to fast track ‘e-scooter’ trials. Such plans are set not only to aid social distancing, but will further the efforts to reduce air pollution that we have already seen – ‘every cloud’, not quite literally anymore it may seem – pardon the pun! 

 

So, as you can see, the environment is changing, which could mean that your environmental search results are set to see a change too. As discussed above, the environmental search plays an important role in your conveyance, as it provides for important issues that may need to be considered. 

 

Upon receipt of your searches, our Preston solicitors conduct a thorough and extensive review of the results. We then prepare a detailed report to you, commenting on the various matters revealed. The report takes each search involved, and sets out the position outlined within the search. 

 

If, therefore, you are purchasing a property, and have a query about conveyancing searches, or any other conveyancing enquiry, get in touch with us today, at property@mglegal.co.uk, and one of our local solicitors will be on hand to assist you.