Soils and Stones Project

Summary of the project

Who we are

The Soils and Stones project is a cross-sector network of environmental professionals. The project is evidence-based, bringing together experts to share their knowledge, experience and solutions on safeguarding soils and soil related materials.

Since 2019, the SocEnv Soils and Stones project has brought together experts from across a diverse range of sectors. These include: regulation, water, construction, land development, resource management, forestry, engineering, and agricultural/land management.

Key aims

The project has three key aims, bringing Chartered Environmentalists (and those pursuing the registration) together to lead the way and deliver change, through:

• Shaping and sharing good practice for all those managing soils.
• Connecting the expertise of practitioners with policymakers , inspiring those making legislative decisions to remove barriers and provide incentives for good soil management.
• Making connections and finding solutions via collaboration.

Output 

The project’s first key output was our Soils and Stones report (2021) which has been hugely well-received by decision-makers including DEFRA. Demonstrating this impact, we were invited to give evidence to the Soil Health Inquiry in March 2023, with the inquiry report making reference to our evidence, including our key asks.

In 2024, we were delighted to share a full update on our progress. Produced three years on from our initial, influential report, this publication provides an honest assessment of progress achieved so far against the 2021 recommendations and provides a focus for our efforts over the next three years.

Further key output has included “The Ten Principles of Good Soils and Stones Management”, the SILOtoSOIL tool and the Soil Management Hierarchies for Development Sites and Rural Settings.

We also continue our work to influence policymakers. In 2025 our response to the Landfill Tax consultation contributed to a change in plans from the Government – with the announcement that reforms, including plans to converge the two rates of landfill tax, would not be taken forward. An excellent analysis of the decision and its implications can be accessed here, by SLR Consulting Technical Director and Soils and Stones project volunteer, Chris Berryman CEnv.

2026 Key Activity to Date

• We covered the ongoing impact of the Soils and Stones project on our special ‘impact’ episode of our podcast, EnvCast. Listen or watch here.
• We’re pleased to support the report of the UK Parliamentary Roundtable ‘Climate and Nature – Living Soils Deliver for Both’ and its call for soil-centric approaches. You can view the report in full, including our supportive quote, here. 
• We responded to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) consultation into the National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system. Our response focused on the questions most related to the project’s aims, in particular the degree to which the proposed reforms align with the ‘Ten Principles of Good Soils and Stones Management’. Among our key asks is the formation of a National Soil Policy.
• We also responded to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation on the regulatory framework for sludge applied to agriculture. In our response, we focused on the direct impact of sewage sludge on soil health and the degree to which the proposed reforms align with the project’s aims. Among our arguments, we stress that any new regulations should align with soil health indicators, when they are finalised, and call for the creation of a national soils policy through which all soil-based regulation can be harmonised.

You can view both of our responses via the link below.

Journal and Magazine Features

Journal and magazine articles produced by Soils and Stones project volunteers have included the following:

• Microplastics: an increasing threat to global soil health? (Environmental Scientist, journal of the Institution of Environmental Sciences, June 2023). By Paul Dumble CEnv, Diogenes Antille CEnv and Robert Earl CEnv.
• Innovative Opportunities through Good Soil Management (Institute of Water magazine, Autumn 2023). By Robert Earl CEnv and Paul Dumble CEnv.
• Solar Panels on Farmland and their Impact on Soil Biodiversity (CIEEM In Practice, December 2025). By David Hackett CEnv.
• Challenging Perceptions of Soil Contamination: Towards a Circular Economy (Institute of Water magazine, Winter 2025). By Martin Ballard CEnv.

Case studies

In 2025 we contributed to the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES)’s collection of case studies: “Speaking up for science and the environment”. You can view our case study, showcasing how the project has helped to raise the profile of soils as a key policy issue, and full publication, here.

To progress the Soils and Stones 2021 Report recommendation on ‘Supporting Good Practice (SGP)’, in 2024 we issued a call for case studies which demonstrate the Ten Principles in action. Case studies on a range of topics relating to soil health and reuse can be accessed via the links below:

• Ramboll, the Coal Authority, Environment Agency and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) – Sustainable reuse of metal impacted sediments 
• Southern Water, S.Woodley Crop Services, Arun to Adur Farmers Group and Cranfield University – Soil health in agriculture
• Institute of Water – Nature Based Solutions in the water industry
• ALIGN working in partnership with HS2, Jacobs, Cranfield University and Tim O’Hare Associates – Soil profile trials to support calcareous grassland
• UBU Environmental, Manchester Metropolitan University and Innovate UK – Recycling soils and aggregates from street sweepings
• WSP, West Dunbartonshire Council, DEME and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) – Remediation of a former oil terminal
• Ramboll, DS Smith, National Trust and FLI Group – Remediation of a former mill
• E3P, Kellen Homes and McAuliffe Group – Redevelopment of a former waterproof textile manufacturing site

We are thankful to the organisations and initiatives who have provided case studies so far and hope you find their insights useful.

Join the project

Would you like to contribute to our project and collaborate with other experts?

Please note: the project is open to those with membership of an environmental related professional body. For example, one of our Licensed Members, or Institutions with a closely tied remit such as the British Society of Soil Science. Ideally volunteers should also hold Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) registration, though this isn’t essential. Indeed, involvement could support progression to CEnv registration through one’s respective professional body.

If you would like to express interest in getting involved, please get in touch with Sarah via the link below.