Cornwall Consultants collaborates with national environmental information specialist to bring new Ground Report to the South West

– Innovative new Ground Report will bring clarity to mining searches across the region –

2 October 2018 – Cornish mining expert, Cornwall Consultants and national mining and ground report specialist, Terrafirma, have announced a collaboration that sees the launch of a new Ground Report combining leading digital mapping and data analysis with ‘on-the-ground’ experience and expertise to bring clarity to the current confusion among property buyers across Devon and Cornwall caused by the disparate mix of products available to them.

The Ground Report from Cornwall Consultants will see customers benefit from the widest range of the latest ground stability information relating to coal and non-coal mining, natural ground issues and even fracking combined with a vast mining archive and wealth of experience working in the region. It includes an expert professional opinion, risk assessment and risk transfer and satisfies Mining and Ground Perils guidance in the Law Society Conveyancing Handbook.

“While planners, developers, conveyancers and lenders across the UK are only just waking up to the risks caused by historical mining activity it’s nothing new in the South West where holes open up and sales fall through on a regular basis consequently it’s been standard practice to undertake a desktop mining search for all property purchases in the region since the early 1990’s,” explains Dan Berriman, Managing Director, Cornwall Consultants.

Thousands of historic records, yet more unrecorded workings, multiple experts with varying interpretations have all led to a wide range of products and a diverse range of results causing much confusion for conveyancers and developers. Our collaboration with Terrafirma will demystify this confusion and bring a Ground Report that provides the highest quality information possible on each and every property surpassing all existing local and nationally produced mining searches in terms of precision, interpretation and coverage for both detail and professional liability,” adds Dan.

“Cornwall Consultants are viewed as the go to mining experts in the South West having produced 128,000 mining searches over the last 27 years and amassed a formidable mining archive of historic plans and records. This is complimented by data and observations from over 6000 on-site investigations and inspections throughout the region which has been analysed and formulated into a delivery process that is rapid and reliable,” says Tom Backhouse, founder and CEO, Terrafirma. “The Ground Report combines a best in class ground risks and liabilities report that blends the expertise and experience of Cornwall Consultants with Terrafirma’s technology driven solutions, data intelligence and robust terms and conditions and we are excited to be bring such an innovative report to the region.”

Records cover just the last 300 years of mining in the region, however, it has witnessed up to 3,000 years of extraction for tin copper and other metals therefore expert interpretation of the available records is key to predicting where ancient workings might lie. Innovative satellite data and air-borne radar has been added to uncover problems that have lain hidden for centuries helping to better protect unsuspecting purchasers.

The introduction of digital mapping and more powerful archive and retrieval data storage methods means that historic records; maps and plans can be scrutinised in greater detail than ever before leading to a greater number of ‘cleared’ properties and a far higher level of assurance provided. 85 per cent of properties can be passed by this process, even in Cornwall and Devon which has seen over 3000 active mines and an estimated 25,000 mine shafts. This assurance can only be provided by examining every discrete feature shown by each source and appraising separately. General risk areas that appear to influence whole towns and streets are no relied upon and each property is appraised separately.

The Ground Report is now available, for further information call 01209 313511 or email [email protected] or visit www.cornwallconsultants.com.

Kindly shared by Terrafirma