A Coal Mining Risk Assessment considers mining legacy features that could affect proposed development. We interpret the available mining information against the construction and identify where further investigation, mitigation or permission may be needed.
Coal Mining Risk Assessment
Mining legacy evidence interpreted against the proposed works, with further investigation or mitigation identified where justified.
Coal Mining Risk Assessment enquiry
Site-specific mining records
The assessment considers recorded workings, mine entries and other relevant mining features affecting the land.
Proposed foundations
The development layout and foundation proposals help determine which ground risks need further investigation.
Coal-mining features affecting development
Mine entries, shallow workings and other mining features raise different questions. Mining records and the site’s risk-area designation provide important evidence, while a conveyancing search alone does not assess how proposed foundations or excavation interact with those features.
The layout and depth of ground disturbance influence the risk. The assessment identifies which recorded or potential features matter to the works and keeps uncertainty visible where the available records do not resolve it.
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Further investigation, mitigation and permissions
Further intrusive investigation or mitigation may be recommended where the desk evidence leaves a material question. Work that could intersect or disturb coal or mine workings can require permission from the Mining Remediation Authority and should be planned on that basis.
The report supports planning and design decisions by separating known features, assessed risk and further work. It should not present the absence of a recorded feature as a guarantee of stable ground.
Development High Risk Areas
Mining Remediation Authority guidance generally requires a Coal Mining Risk Assessment for relevant development in a Development High Risk Area, subject to the published exemptions. Development outside that designation is not proof that unrecorded mining hazards are absent; the planning requirement and the underlying ground risk are separate questions.
Coal Mining Risk Assessment: common questions
Is a coal-mining search the same as a risk assessment?
No. A risk assessment interprets mining evidence against the specific development and identifies further work.
Can trial holes be arranged without checking mining permissions?
Do not assume so. Intrusive work affecting coal-mining features may require the relevant authority’s permission.
Does every site on a coalfield need the same report?
No. The risk area, development type and applicable requirements need to be checked for the proposal.
Does a low-risk designation prove there are no mining hazards?
No. It affects the normal planning requirement for a Coal Mining Risk Assessment, but unrecorded mining features can still exist.
Can a change in foundations alter the mining assessment?
Yes. The layout and depth of ground disturbance affect which mining features are relevant and whether further investigation or mitigation is needed.