Considering the many, and varied risks the ground poses, inevitably some potential ground hazards will pose a great enough risk to life to warrant a more detailed assessment.

Less than 5% of UK sites are identified as being at such a risk, most notably where mining hazards such as; mine entries, shallow mining and known sinkholes/subsidence (including subsidence claims/damage notices) are present beneath or within the immediate vicinity of a site. Other hazards such as utilities failure, landslides, dissolution features, coastal erosion and ground gas can also pose considerable risk to property or life.

Numerous past and current case studies highlight how our industrial mining legacy can be the cause of ground collapse, subsidence and the development of sinkholes, resulting in substantial localised damage, disruption and loss of value to property and land across the UK. Increasingly, both insurers and banks are requesting more information, interpretation and protection prior to the agreement of a mortgage or development and where a risk to the material value of the site is identified, a further action is required as part of the due diligence process.

Terrafirma offer a suite of further actions to ensure the client is properly informed and diligent prior to purchase, development or investment.

If a Further Action is required, Terrafirma have developed a unique and extensive suite of next steps, including desk studies and site walkovers alongside recommendations and referrals for site investigations and RICS Building Surveys, tailored specifically to the on-site risk and the client’s needs. A Further Action, if required, often makes up the most integral part of the search process, providing solutions through the mitigation and/or remediation of the identified risk(s).

TerraSearch Action Suite Includes:

These expert reports provide a comprehensive desk study for sites where the perceived risk is to be one that may impact life, value or development potential. The report seeks to mitigate the risk(s) or identify where surveys, investigations and remediation works may be required.

The range of reports includes:

• Mine Entry Interpretive Report
• Coal Mining Technical Report
• Non-Coal Mining Technical Report
• Combined Mining Hazards Technical Report
• Claims Analysis Report
• Cornwall Mining Report

Where significant hazards are identified, Terrafirma’s team of geologists are on-hand to supplement the desk study with expert site inspections to refine risk assessments.

Terrafirma will identify an appropriate Building Survey in accordance with the RICS three-tiered system and your specific needs and if necessary can recommend a trusted partner to undertake investigation and remediation of ground hazards.

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Require a Further Action?

TerraSearch Action services are not available 'off the shelf', with a recommendation provided within a preceding report. In the event you or your client has received such a recommendation from Terrafirma or within another available report (Environmental Search/Coal Authority Report), please contact your search provider or us directly.