Soil Management Plans

Roberts Environmental Soil Management Plans (SMP)

A Soil Management Plan (SMP) is a key document used in construction and development projects to ensure soils on a site are handled, stored, and reused responsibly. It identifies the different soil types present and sets out practical methods for stripping, stockpiling, protecting, and reinstating soils during construction so their quality and function are preserved. By carefully planning how soils are managed, a Soil Management Plan helps reduce waste, minimise environmental impact, and support sustainable development by allowing valuable soil resources to be reused on site wherever possible.

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01. Understand Your Site

Soil Management Plans (SMPs), also known as Soil Resource Management Strategies, are required to protect and manage soil resources stored on site. For your development you might wish to store soils on site for reuse later in the works programme, or you might wish to reduce the volume of material being taken off site. Your SMP report demonstrates the appropriate method for recovery, storage and reuse of soils whilst minimising their loss and maintaining their quality in order to provide a more sustainable site development.

02. Site Characterisation

Our British Society of Soil Science specialists collate and assess multiple resources to characterise the soil resources on the site, including:

Existing mapping held by the Soil Survey of England and Wales;
Agricultural Land Classification survey data;
British Geological Survey data;
Site-specific ground investigation data.

03. Development of a Soil Management Plan

The data collected is used to develop a site-specific plan based on the soils present at your site and your proposed development plans, including:

Plans showing soil types, and the areas where soil is to be stripped;
Suitable haulage routes;
Location of soil stockpiles;
Schedule of soil volumes;
Procedures and equipment for stripping and stockpiling each type of topsoil/subsoil;
Re-use options for each soil type;
Appropriate topsoil and sub-soil depths;
Methods of topsoil and sub-soil placement.

The reporting is undertaken in accordance with current DEFRA and CIRIA guidance.

04. Provide Solutions

By managing the handling of soil storage on site, you are working towards providing a sustainable approach to construction and reducing wastage of a valuable resource. Your Soil Plan can also help in the reduction of costs normally associated with removal and disposal.