The Coal Authority is the Government body which owns abandoned mines in Great Britain. The Authority has responsibility for 171,000 mine entries, of which 50,000 are in urban areas, including 18,000 within the boundaries of residential properties.
The organisation is currently inspecting these mine shafts and adits, and aims to have finished inspecting those on residential land by July 2012.
Many people who have a mine entrance on their land will already be aware of this, but in any case the Coal Authority will write to householders to arrange an inspection. These take around twenty minutes to complete, are completely visual, and involve an inspection of gardens and the outside of buildings.
The Authority will send the householder a written report following the inspection. It is very rare for any remedial work to be necessary, but in most cases the Coal Authority is responsible for the cost of it.
Inspectors will carry identification but their identity can be verified by telephoning the Coal Authority on (0845) 7626848.
The Coal Authority operates a 24 hour emergency service to deal with coal hazards such as open or collapsed mine shafts. In such instances, members of the public should not approach the hazardous area, but should contact the Coal Authority on (01623) 646333.
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