With stories of sinkholes appearing routinely in the headlines (including this recent example which closed a road in Liverpool), it is becoming increasingly clear that more needs to be done to alert homebuyers to the wider risks of ground stability in the UK.
Part of the issue is that conveyancers sometimes only order ground stability searches against coal-mining risks and overlook the potential risks posed by non-coal mining. However, there are over 405,000 recorded non-coal mine-shafts in the UK and many of these are present in major towns and cities.
Here are just some of the non-coal mine-shafts that have been recorded in London :
• 490 Chalk Mines/Pits
• 94 Sandstone Mines
• 31 Fuller’s Earth Mines
• 16 Sand and Gravel Mines
• 642 Clay Pits
Terrafirma analyse an additional 55 mining hazards
Terrafirma are challenging this perception with their TerraSearch products by analysing coal mining risks alongside an additional 55 mining hazards to reveal a fuller picture of ground stability in our towns and cities.
The following TerraSearch products are now available on tmconvey to order against residential and commercial properties :
TerraSearch® Coal Extra :
TerraSearch® Coal Extra offers the equivalent of a regulated Coal & Brine search and is “Con29M-compliant”, whilst also alerting against an additional 55 mining hazards.
TerraSearch® Assess :
TerraSearch® Assess is a single search that comprehensively assesses the risk to a site (property and land) from all 60 mining hazards, including past, present and planned extraction.
TerraSearch® Alert :
TerraSearch® Coal Extra and TerraSearch® Assess are also supported by a TerraSearch® Alert.
Both TerraSearch® Coal Extra and TerraSearch® Assess include additional professional interpretations, as well as a TerraSearch® Coal & Brine Report Indemnity Policy up to £50,000 loss in market value of the property, and £10 million liability per report.
TerraSearch® Coal Extra, TerraSearch® Assess and TerraSearch® Alert are all now available on tmconvey to switch on by request.
Please get in touch with your Account Manager for more information.
You can also take part in this poll question to test your knowledge on coal mining risks in the UK.
