What does the search cover, and what does it leave out?
The CON29M is answered from the Coal Authority's records of coal mining in Great Britain: the abandonment plans lodged by mine operators, the register of mine entries, the claims database and the licensing record. It is a records search, not an inspection. It tells you what has been recorded for the land around the property, and its value depends on how well the records were kept. Older, shallow workings from before the mid-nineteenth century are the least well mapped, because there was no duty to lodge plans then, so an absence of recorded workings is not the same as an absence of workings.
Where a finding is disclosed, the report usually says whether a mine entry has been treated and whether workings are at a depth likely to affect the surface. Where it does not, an interpretive report goes further, and a structural engineer can give a view on the building itself. Lenders generally accept a property once the risk has been assessed in that way (each lender sets its own rule in part 2 of its UK Finance handbook entry).
| Revealed by the search | Not revealed |
|---|---|
| Recorded underground workings, their depth and seam | Unrecorded workings, particularly old shallow ones |
| Mine entries within the reporting distance and their treatment | The physical condition of a capped shaft, that needs an inspection |
| Past, present and proposed opencast mining nearby | Whether an opencast proposal will proceed |
| Subsidence damage notices and claims for the property | Cracking from other causes such as clay shrinkage or tree roots |
| Withdrawal of support notices and mine gas records | Tin, brine, limestone or clay mining, separate searches |
| Whether the property is in the reporting area at all | Anything about the building itself, that is a survey |
What happens if a mine shaft is found near the property?
It does not stop the purchase, but it changes the paperwork. A mine entry within the reporting distance prompts an interpretive report from the Coal Authority, which says whether the shaft was treated, when, and with what; if the record is silent, a mine entry inspection may follow. Where the shaft lies under or very close to the building, a lender will usually want a structural engineer's opinion before proceeding (each lender sets its own rule in part 2 of its UK Finance handbook entry).
Most shafts in residential areas were capped or filled when the land was developed, and the record exists. The cost of confirming that is modest compared with the cost of finding out later. Where the shaft is untreated and close, the conversation is about price, insurance and whether the seller will fund treatment, and we set out each option before exchange.
Who pays for coal mining subsidence damage?
The Coal Authority. Under the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991 there is a statutory duty to repair, or pay for the repair of, damage caused by coal mining subsidence, whoever owned the mine. The duty is discharged today by the Mining Remediation Authority, which issues the damage notice form, though the Act on its face still names the British Coal Corporation, whose functions passed on the 1994 restructuring. A damage notice must be given within six years beginning with the first date on which a person entitled to give it had the knowledge needed to found a claim, under section 3 of the 1991 Act, so the clock runs from discovery rather than from the damage. Checked 20 September 2026. A homeowner makes a damage notice to the authority; where the claim is accepted, the authority carries out or funds the remedial work. That is why a past claim on the search is often reassuring rather than alarming: it means the damage was recognised and dealt with.
The duty covers subsidence damage from coal mining. It does not cover damage from other minerals, from clay shrinkage or from tree roots, and it does not cover a fall in value. Where the report suggests that a lender or insurer will want more, indemnity insurance or a retention can bridge the gap, and we say which fits.