Give closure advisers the factory's process history
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Give the environmental and technical advisers a history of how the factory has been used. Today's equipment list may omit earlier processes, old storage areas or changes made before the current team arrived.
The owner's task is to locate information and explain its reliability. Leave interpretation, investigation design and conclusions about site condition to competent specialists. An old photograph or a remembered incident can identify a question without answering it.
Build the history around changes
Start with the periods the business can document. Add earlier information where available, clearly identifying its source. This fictional sequence separates the available evidence:
| Period | Information found | Evidence quality and next question |
|---|---|---|
| Earlier occupation | Former employee recalls a finishing process in the rear bay | Recollection only; adviser to identify useful corroboration |
| Later expansion | Dated drawing shows a storage-area alteration | Document found; whether it reflects completed work remains unconfirmed |
| Recent operation | Process records identify the materials used | Current records available; adviser reviews relevance and scope |
| Reported incident | An incident reference exists but the full report is missing | Named person retrieves the report and follow-up evidence |
Use real dates where established and approximate periods where they are not. Do not give a recollection the appearance of a verified event by adding a precise date nobody can support.
Keep the evidence beside the statement
Record the document location, author or custodian and what the source actually shows. A purchase invoice may establish that equipment was acquired without proving where it was installed or how it was used.
Ask the engineering team to identify undocumented changes and unresolved interfaces. Capture their explanation while they are available, but preserve the difference between personal knowledge and technical verification.
For Environment Agency permitting in England, the H5 site condition guidance addresses land and groundwater evidence over a site's life. The H5 document considers previous land use and pollution history. Ask the adviser how the actual requirements apply; do not infer a contamination finding from a historic process name.
Expose the gaps early
Mark unknown periods and missing records. Ask the adviser what further enquiry matters to the closure decision. They may need information outside the business's own archive or a different form of assessment; the owner should not choose a technical investigation solely to fill the spreadsheet.
Connect the history to the permit evidence enquiry where applicable. Review the drainage records as a separate information source, particularly where historic alterations remain uncertain.
When speaking to UK Auction Group about the disposal element, explain any confirmed project restrictions and unresolved assessments affecting asset availability. Share relevant information through the responsible project team without presenting preliminary recollections as established conclusions.
Return to the manufacturing site closure guides.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.