Coal Mining Searches When Buying a Property: A Former Coalfield Buyer’s Guide (2026)
This guide covers buying in England and Wales and is general information, not legal advice. Scotland has its own system, so coal mining searches work differently there.
If you're buying anywhere over Britain's former coalfields, including large parts of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, your conveyancer will probably order a coal mining search. Most come back clear. Occasionally one is flagged, with no explanation of whether it's a formality or a dealbreaker. This guide is for that moment: what a result means and what happens next.
The short answer
A coal mining search, officially the CON29M, tells you whether past, present or planned coal mining could affect the property, such as old mine shafts, shallow workings, subsidence or mine gas.
It's ordered when the property falls within a coal mining reporting area. A clear result means you carry on as normal. A flagged or referred result doesn't mean the sale is off: it means one specific risk needs a closer look, and there's a well-established way to resolve it.
What a coal mining search checks
The CON29M is a standard set of questions set by the Law Society, answered from official records held by the Mining Remediation Authority. That's the operating name the Coal Authority has used since November 2024, reflecting its wider role across all mining legacy. It's the same body with the same records, and "Coal Authority" remains its legal name until legislation changes it. The search covers:
| What it checks | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Past, present and planned underground coal working | Coal working beneath or near the property is the root cause of most ground movement risk |
| Mine entries, such as shafts and adits | A recorded shaft or adit (a horizontal tunnel entrance) close to the property is the most common reason for a referral |
| Shallow workings | Unfilled cavities near the surface can, rarely, affect stability |
| Subsidence claims and damage | Whether the property has a recorded history of coal mining subsidence |
| Mine gas | Whether gas from old workings has been reported in the area |
| Surface hazards and past works | Historic tips and any preventive or remedial works already done |
Where a mine entry is close to the property, the report can include an expert assessment of whether it's likely to affect the property. The search is one of your conveyancing disbursements, typically costing £30 to £60 and returned within a few working days.
When a coal mining search is ordered, and who decides
You don't choose whether to have a coal mining search: the location does. It's ordered only where the property falls inside a coal mining reporting area. That's a much wider area than the smaller "development high risk areas" that planners use for new building, so being in a reporting area isn't a sign of high risk in itself.
The decision is made by your conveyancer, who screens the property's location as part of the search stage. If it falls inside a reporting area, a CON29M is ordered as a matter of course. The Mining Remediation Authority also publishes free interactive maps showing whether an area has a coal mining history, but they're a rough guide only. Your lender and conveyancer will rely on the official report.
A coal mining search sits alongside the other core searches, and our guide to what checks and searches are involved in conveyancing shows how they fit together.
How to read your result: clear or flagged
A coal mining search doesn't come back as a simple pass or fail. It comes back with a conclusion, and the conclusion tells you what happens next:
| Result | What it means | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Clear, or no further action | No recorded mining feature affects the property closely enough to matter. Most results are like this | Nothing. Your conveyancer notes it and the purchase carries on |
| Feature noted but assessed as no risk | A feature, often a nearby mine entry, was picked up, but the expert assessment concludes it doesn't threaten the property | Usually nothing further. Your conveyancer reports it to you and your lender |
| Referral or further action recommended | A specific feature, such as a shaft nearby, a subsidence history or a gas area, needs a closer look | Your conveyancer obtains further information. It's a step to work through, not an automatic no |
| Material issue confirmed | A genuine mining risk affects value, mortgageability or safety | You, your conveyancer and your lender weigh up remediation, indemnity, a price adjustment or, rarely, whether to proceed |
A flag or referral isn't a rejection. It's the search doing its job, surfacing something so it can be assessed rather than discovered after you've moved in. Don't withdraw on the word "referral" alone, and don't ignore it either.
Your search came back flagged: what happens next
When a result is referred or adverse, your conveyancer works through an established sequence:
- Get a further report. The first step is almost always more information. A detailed mining risk assessment, from the Mining Remediation Authority or a specialist consultant, gives an expert view on whether the flagged feature affects your property. Often this alone closes the matter.
- Check whether remediation is needed, and who pays. If there's a genuine stability issue, the question is whether work is needed. Where the cause is coal mining subsidence, the Mining Remediation Authority may be responsible for putting it right, as explained below.
- Consider indemnity insurance. For some historic, low-probability risks, a one-off indemnity policy can protect you and future buyers against a defined risk without holding up the purchase.
- Agree the outcome with your lender. In coalfield areas, lenders generally require a satisfactory coal mining search before releasing funds, so an adverse result must be reported to and cleared with them. Your conveyancer handles this and provides whatever further report or policy the lender needs.
Coal mining subsidence: claims and remediation
Subsidence is the risk most buyers worry about, and the position is more protective than many expect. Under the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991, the body responsible for mining subsidence in the area, usually the Mining Remediation Authority, has a duty to put right subsidence damage caused by coal mining.
An owner whose property is damaged submits a damage notice. An engineer inspects it and, if the claim is accepted, the damage is repaired or compensation is paid. According to GOV.UK's guidance on subsidence claims, you'll usually get a decision within 90 days, and if you disagree, you can ask for an independent review. The CON29M reports whether any claims or damage have already been recorded at the property.
- A past, resolved claim isn't necessarily a red flag. It can mean the issue was found and properly repaired, leaving the property better documented than its neighbours.
- Buildings insurance may ask about mining history, and a clear or well-documented search helps you answer accurately and get cover on normal terms.
- Resale is easier when the mining position is clear on file, because the next buyer's conveyancer will run the same search.
If you're buying a new build on a former colliery or reclaimed mining land, the developer will usually have dealt with ground stabilisation as part of the planning consent. It's still worth understanding what was done and what warranties you inherit, and our guide on how conveyancing differs on a new build covers the extra checks.
Buying over the East Midlands coalfields
Bird & Co has offices in Newark, Grantham and Lincoln, and Nottinghamshire is a county shaped by deep coal mining. The Mining Remediation Authority itself is based in Mansfield, in the heart of the old Nottinghamshire coalfield. But not every property in the region needs a coal mining search, and whether yours does depends on the screening check, not the town name:
- West Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Properties around former mining towns such as Mansfield, Ashfield, Hucknall and Bolsover very commonly fall inside a reporting area, so a search is routine there.
- Former colliery villages further east. Deep mining reached well into the Sherwood area, with collieries at places such as Ollerton, Bilsthorpe and Thoresby, so the coalfield extends further east than many people assume.
- Lincolnshire. Properties around Lincoln and Grantham are generally outside the coal mining reporting areas, so buyers there often won't need a coal search.
Because the coalfield's edge isn't a neat line, the only reliable way to know is to have your conveyancer check your specific address.
Coal is one of several ground stability searches
The same principle applies across the country: the geology under a region decides which specialist search is needed. Depending on where you buy, your conveyancer may order a different search instead of, or as well as, a coal search:
- Tin, copper and china clay: a mining search for the old metal and clay-working areas of Cornwall and Devon.
- Brine: a brine subsidence search in parts of Cheshire, where salt was extracted.
- Gypsum and limestone: relevant in some areas, including parts of Nottinghamshire, where gypsum has long been worked.
You don't need to know which applies to you. That's your conveyancer's screening job.
Related guides
For more on searches and keeping your purchase on track, these guides may help:
- What checks and searches are involved in conveyancing?
- Common conveyancing problems and what to do about them
- How does conveyancing differ when buying a new build home?
- What are disbursements in conveyancing?
Frequently asked questions
My coal mining search came back with a referral. Is the sale off?
No. A referral means a specific feature, usually a nearby mine entry, a subsidence history or a gas area, needs a closer look. Your conveyancer will normally obtain a further report, and most referrals are resolved without affecting the sale. Where a genuine issue is confirmed, remediation, indemnity insurance or a price adjustment are all options.
Do I need a coal mining search if I'm buying in Nottinghamshire?
It depends on the exact location, not the county or town. Your conveyancer runs a screening check against the coal mining reporting areas. Properties around former mining towns in west Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire very commonly need one, and the coalfield also extends into parts of the Sherwood area. The only reliable answer is to have your specific address checked.
Does past coal mining make a house unmortgageable?
Very rarely. Lenders in coalfield areas require a satisfactory search, which usually means a clear result or a referral resolved by a further report or an indemnity policy. Homes over former coalfields are mortgaged and sold every day.
Who pays for coal mining subsidence repairs?
Often not you. The body responsible for mining subsidence, usually the Mining Remediation Authority, has a legal duty to put right damage caused by coal mining. You submit a damage notice, an engineer inspects, and if the claim is accepted the damage is repaired or compensated. A decision usually comes within 90 days.
How much does a coal mining search cost and how long does it take?
Typically £30 to £60, with results in a few working days. A referral that needs a further report adds some cost and time, which your conveyancer will explain before ordering it.
Can I just use the free online maps instead of a search?
The free maps are useful for a quick check of whether an area has a coal mining history, but they're indicative only. For a purchase, your conveyancer and lender rely on the official CON29M, which is answered from full official records.
How Bird & Co helps when a coal mining search complicates your purchase
A flagged search tends to land mid-transaction, with a lender waiting and a completion date in mind. Our conveyancing team knows the local ground, orders and reads these searches regularly, and will talk you through what your result means. You'll have a dedicated conveyancer you can contact directly, and our conveyancing is transparent and fixed-fee.
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