1.   Finds widespread agreement that the government should take the lead in securing the re-use of contaminated land.

2.   Councils will be required to keep registers of contaminated land.

3.   This is expected to be the first of many similar cases to come to light as local councils draw up registers of contaminated land under the Environmental Protection Act.

4.   Other factors include two years of drought, acid rain, run-off from contaminated land and reduced governmental expenditure on sewage treatment.

5.   A new tax could be levied on UK industry to pay for cleaning up contaminated land, according to proposals currently being considered by the Department of the Environment.

6.   Friends of the Earth accused the government of retreating from a firmly-stated commitment to identify contaminated land.

7.   Friends of the Earth accused the government of caving in to pressure from property developers and abandoning proposals that would have protected the public from accidentally buying contaminated land.