Q: First, hello peeps, Ive been lurking around for a while and have saved some money by using some tips for cheering as if it were the reason of my post is all.

Anyway. We (me and my girlfriend) to a house that we really would like to buy and we go for a 2nd view tomorrow.

On our first look we had a good look around the neighborhood and saw what look like 4 tubes of stabbing land forms a rectangle (2 on the same side of the road as the home and 2 road). The tubes are about 8 cm in diameter and about 6 meter high. So assuming they openings of a kind I contacted the municipality, who say they are vents to vent landfill gas. The Council could not be certain about this, the people I should talk to holiday.

Now this is my problem .

We were to make an offer on the house before we discovered what the holes were (are), but now I am not too sure. Do you think I should be worried about the vents? I assume that the original builders (the house is 5 years old) would have made what they guy is safe but who knows? I know there are still a few who are also interested in the property and look at it tomorrow, so I will try to get an offer sooner rather than later to avoid missing the house.

Sorry for the long post, guys
Cheers,
Chris

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A:Hello Ian,

Thanks for the reply.

After spending all day yesterday thinking about what I should do, and then reading your reply as well as talking to a friend who has worked for an environmental/health and safety company for many years I decided that there is probably more risk from the car fumes being spat out of cars going past. So I made an offer after going to see it again this morning, and it was accepted. So I will get my solicitor to get the searches sorted and make sure he gets an environmental search done. If it throws something up then my friend says that he may be able to sort out a more thorough test of the area, cost unknown yet though

Cheers,
Chris

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A:Aye, Aye Captain!
I'd have thought it was venting for Methane and possibly CO2. I think the regs for building on or near landfill are fairly stringent these days and given the Govt's aim to redevelop Brownfield sites as a priority many more developments are going to be on them.
I'm not sure I'd be overly happy but you will have the residue of the 10year NHBC warranty for a fairly new house.
You might also want to read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill_in_the_UK
and if you know the postcode for the property you may find info on the Environment Agencies website at:
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/maps/

I'd probably ask an innocent question [ie: as if you're completely clueless about what they might be] about the vents and if the vendor doesn't mention the words landfill and methane in the answer, I'd be legging it.

BoL and let us know how you go on.

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