Terrafirma highlights the risk to properties from mining hazards

Terrafirma highlights the risk to properties from mining hazards

Specialist provider adds Con29M-compliant coal mining report to the TerraSearch® suite, offering greater protection to property owners 

With more than 30 significant mining-related collapses reported across the UK over the past twelve months, Terrafirma Mine Searches Limited (Terrafirma) is alerting conveyancers and homebuyers of the importance of carrying out due diligence on ground stability risks when purchasing a new property. Terrafirma has broadened its suite of TerraSearch® Reports, which now include a Con29M-compliant report providing details on all past, present and planned coal mining activity relating to an individual property address. 

According to Richard Page, the former Minister for Small Business, Industry and Energy: The Coal Authority’s database records some 150,000 coal mine shafts and mine entrances, and it is estimated that as many again are unrecorded. There are probably an equal number of entrances that are not connected with coal mining.”

Using data provided by the Coal Authority and Terrafirma’s own unique mining hazards database, an in-house geologist analyses and interprets the data to provide a professional risk assessment in the TerraSearch® Coal report.  Each report includes a coal and brine search indemnity insurance with cover of up to £50,000 and comes with £10 million of liability cover per report.  By upgrading to the TerraSearch® Coal Extra report, users will be alerted to an additional 55 potential mining hazards, including Tin, Clay, Chalk and Gypsum.

Where minerals are presently being mined, or have been mined in the past, there may be a risk to the property above and to the future development of property on that site.  In order to ensure the owner continues to have quiet enjoyment of their property they should be made aware of future potential mineral extraction, even though this may not be readily apparent from planning proposals. It is necessary to make mining search enquiries even when there are no obvious signs of mines in the area; when mines are closed they leave little or no residual evidence on the surface but can still cause major problems for land and property owners.

“Mining is a specialist area of expertise and relying solely on data and regional knowledge is not enough – the data needs professional interpretation so that householders are armed with the best advice and which they can action upon accordingly. The TerraSearch® suite of Coal Reports has been designed by geologists to provide reliable mining risk assessments, with clear outcomes and next steps, to property professionals. Quite simply it should form part of any standard set of property enquiries.” says Tom Backhouse, ‎Founder and Managing Director of Terrafirma.

The TerraSearch® suite of Coal Reports is now available through Terrafirma’s authorised partner network. For further information visit http://www.minesearches.co.uk/ or call 01934 806515.

This article was submitted to be published by Terrafirma 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.

Dye & Durham

https://dyedurham.com/

Dye & Durham to discuss the environmental perils Dye & Durham UK is one of the largest providers of property information services in England and Wales, allowing legal and business professionals access to an extensive network of data and insights related to:

  • Environmental and flood
  • Local authority and land charges
  • Planning, drainage, and water
  • Mining and subsidence
  • Chancel liabilities, and much more.
Through our various products, customers can perform CQS standard searches, access Law Society forms, and integrate with HMRC and HMLR through our cloud-based platform. We help firms improve the precision, confidence, and rigour of their operations. Our standardised and automated workflows provide greater operational efficiency and productivity. Our team are leading experts in environmental risk, ground and climate hazards, conveyancing risk and fraud prevention. Bringing together the foresight of Terrafirma, the data expertise of Future Climate Info, and the operational confidence of Lawyer Checker, Dye & Durham provides best-in-class complete due diligence solutions for property transactions. ​Dye & Durham Limited provides critical information services and workflows, which clients use to manage their process, information, and regulatory requirements. The Company has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Key Services: Company Address: Dye & Durham, 2440 The Quadrant, Aztec West Business Park, Bristol, BS32 4AQ , United Kingdom Contact:

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