With stories of sinkholes becoming ever more prevalent in the news, it’s imperative that solicitors and conveyancers are assessing the risk of subsidence and relaying this information to their clients.
With the latest sinkhole appearing in a residential area of St Albans last month, this is just the latest in a long list that have emerged in the past few years.
In August this year a large sinkhole opened up in Wales, in the middle of a Newport Road, in addition to another which appeared in a the back garden of a residential property within the same city.
Sinkholes can take many years to form and often occur when the rock below the ground is exposed to acid rainfall which subsequently dissolves. Heavy rainfall is one of the major contributors to the formation of sinkholes throughout the UK.
There are certain parts of the UK that are more susceptible to sinkholes. They have been identified all around the country, including parts of Wales, the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District and London.
With flooding becoming a major issue throughout the UK, the importance of ground stability risk has significantly increased and should most certainly be identified by solicitors as part of their due diligence.
In order to provide your clients with as much information as possible, we offer a number of reports which identify any hazards and assess the risk of ground instability in relation to the property in question.
To start ordering these searches or for more information, contact your Account Manager or our Helpdesk on 0800 975 8080 or email helpdesk@legalinx.co.uk.
This article was submitted to be published by Legalinx Ltd as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Conveyancer. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Conveyancer.
