All 11 Official Law Society CON29M Residential Questions Explained
Every official residential CON29M Coal Mining Report in England and Wales interrogates the Mining Remediation Authority's national database of over 172,000 recorded mine shafts and 100,000+ historic abandonment plans across 11 core questions:
| CON29M Question | What the Search Checks | Why It Matters to You & Your Mortgage Lender |
|---|---|---|
| Q1. Past Underground Coal Mining | Recorded & probable shallow/deep coal seams worked beneath the property | Identifies whether shallow workings (<30m) could cause future crown holes |
| Q2. Present Underground Coal Mining | Whether the property lies within an active underground mining licence area | Virtually all UK deep mines are now closed, so this almost always returns 'No' |
| Q3. Future Underground Coal Mining | Licences granted for future underground coal extraction | Confirms no future deep mining is planned beneath the home |
| Q4. Shafts and Adits (Mine Entries) | Any recorded vertical shaft or horizontal adit within 20 metres of the boundary | CRITICAL — A shaft within 20m triggers a mandatory Mine Entry Interpretive Report |
| Q5. Coal Mining Geology | Recorded geological faults, fissures, or break lines in the coal measures | Fault lines can concentrate ground movement or create pathways for mine gas |
| Q6. Past Opencast Coal Mining | Whether the house was built on backfilled historic opencast (surface) pit land | Backfilled opencast ground can suffer differential compaction settlement |
| Q7. Present Opencast Coal Mining | Whether the property lies within 200 metres of an active opencast site | Checks for blasting vibration, dust, noise, and visual blight |
| Q8. Future Opencast Coal Mining | Whether the property lies within 800 metres of a proposed future opencast site | Protects buyers from buying next to a future surface coal quarry |
| Q9. Coal Mining Subsidence Claims | Any Damage Notice or subsidence claim recorded on the property since Oct 1994 | CRITICAL — Reveals if the house has ever cracked, tilted, or been repaired for mining |
| Q10. Mine Gas Emissions | Recorded coal mine gas (methane / carbon dioxide / stythe) hazards on site | Verify whether gas membranes exist or if hazardous gas remediation was required |
| Q11. Emergency Surface Hazard Call-Out | Whether the Authority has ever been called out to an emergency collapse on site | Confirms if a garden crown hole or shaft collapse has ever occurred at the address |
Official Mining Remediation Authority CON29M vs Third-Party 'Environmental' Reports
During conveyancing, your solicitor will always order a standard Environmental Search (such as Groundsure, Landmark, or Terrafirma). While an Environmental Search will flag a basic 'Yes/No' alert indicating that the postcode sits in a coal mining area, an environmental search is NOT a CON29M report (unless you purchase a combined 'Enviro + Official CON29M' bundle).
Once the initial postcode screening confirms the property is in a Coal Mining Reporting Area, your solicitor must obtain a full Law Society CON29M report—typically directly from the Mining Remediation Authority (formerly the Coal Authority) or a licensed CON29M data partner such as Groundsure—which takes just 24 to 48 hours to return as a PDF.
Remember that the standard CON29M only covers COAL mining (and associated ironstone/fireclay in coal seams). If you are buying a house in Cornwall or Devon (Tin & Copper mining), Cheshire (Brine & Salt extraction), Bath/Wiltshire (Bath Stone quarries), or the Peak District/Mendips (Lead mining), a CON29M will not cover those minerals—your solicitor must order a specialist Non-Coal Metalliferous / Brine / Limestone Mining Search!
How Long Is a CON29M Search Valid For?
Like Local Authority CON29 searches and Water & Drainage CON29DW searches, mortgage lenders treat a CON29M Coal Mining Report as valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If a property chain collapses or delays drag exchange of contracts beyond 6 months, your lender may require a refreshed search before releasing completion funds.
Checklist: How to Read Your CON29M Report Like a Conveyancing Solicitor
When your solicitor emails you your CON29M PDF, check these four pages immediately: