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Terrafirma highlights the risk to properties from mining hazards
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.
PSG are pleased to add TerraSearch® Coal to our range of products and reports. We have been working closely with Terrafirma and are excited about this new addition to our range which provides an important step change in UK mining risk assessment.
"Terrafirma have continued to work with our partners in the conveyancing sector to develop an additional suite of coal mining specific risk assessments. Now The Coal Authority have licensed their data to Terrafirma, we can provide a Con29M-compliant search with an additional risk assessment by a professional geologist. We are excited by the rollout of the new TerraSearch Coal and TerraSearch Coal Extra reports via the PSG Connect platform and this is another example of how PSG continually add value to their clients."
Tom Backhouse, Managing Director Terrafirma Mine Searches Ltd
For further information visit www.psgconnect.co.uk/terrasearch-coal or contact your local office.
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