A minefield of inquiries

While the demand for mining reports continues to grow, solicitors are warned to order searches in plenty of time so that any possible delay will not impinge on scheduled completion times

The Coal Authority's mining reports service is highly computerised.

It utilises the authority's award-winning mining reports and surface damage system (MRSDS) and draws on a unique database of coal mining information.

To the year ending 31 March 2002, the authority produced some 460,000 reports - a record number, 18% more than the previous year and some 50% more than in 1998 when the MRSDS was launched.

However, the MRSDS was only designed to produce 500,000 reports and, with demand for reports still increasing, the system is now working to capacity.

This is causing performance problems and occasional system breakdown.

Consequently, the authority is currently experiencing difficulties in consistently meeting its published targets of returning 85% of reports within two working days, and 95% within five working days.

To tackle this problem, work is ongoing to develop and implement the system changes necessary to increase service capacity to 750,000 reports and the authority has also brought forward the development timetable for the next generation MRSDS.

This work will continue over the next few months.

In the shorter term, additional staff have been recruited and an evening shift has been introduced.

With these measures in place the authority expects to deliver the majority of its reports within five working days.

The purpose here is to forewarn solicitors of the potential for delays over the next few months and to advise practitioners to order coal mining searches on-line and as early as possible in the conveyancing process.

This will ensure timely return of mining reports and avoid potential difficulties in meeting scheduled completion times.

The National Land Information Service (NLIS) provides on-line coal mining reports in response to Con29M enquiries.

The government has licensed three private sector organisations to operate the NLIS 'channel' services via the Internet.

Each channel provides an on-line link to coal mining reports.

Revised fee structure

Following consultation with the Law Society, the Coal Authority changed its fee structure for coal mining reports.

From 1 April 2002, two report types have been available:

l A residential property search at 15 inclusive of VAT.

This will be available for single unit residential property, either existing or currently being built.

By way of illustration, this includes any single unit domestic property (for example, a house, flat or bungalow), a single plot on a development site, a farmhouse (excluding any associated outbuildings and land).

The report will answer questions 1 to 9 of the current Con29M Law Society scheme search form.

l A non-residential property or development site search at 45 inclusive of VAT.

This will be available for non-domestic properties, or properties where development is intended, up to a maximum of 25 hectares in extent.

By way of illustration, non-residential, commercial or development sites include multiple residential property requests, for example, a pair of semi-detached houses or row of terraced houses, public houses, shops, businesses, commercial property, industrial units and estates, rural estates, pipelines, roads and similar linear structures up to 500 metres in extent, any sized development site up to 25 hectares, farmhouses and associated land.

The report will answer questions 1 to 12 of the current Con29M Law Society scheme standard and special development search form.

Both report types are available through NLIS (www.NLIS.org.uk) and the Coal Authority's other business channels, that is, by post, call-centre and on-line service (www.coalminingreports.co.uk).

Notwithstanding the introduction of on-line services (which return the majority of reports within 24 hours), many practitioners still use the authority's expedited fax service and this service will still be available on payment of an additional fee of 59 inclusive.

At present, where shafts are disclosed in a mining report, additional fees are charged for shaft location plans when more than three shafts are recorded within a non-residential, commercial or development site.

From 1 April, this additional charge will not apply and a shaft location plan will be provided in all cases.

To ensure that solicitors and other customers derive the full benefit of these changes, practitioners are asked to bring this information to the attention of colleagues and staff involved in ordering coal mining reports.

Any 'old fees' posted by a customer and received by the authority after 1 April will be returned with a request for the correct fee.

Solicitors with queries about these changes should contact the Coal Authority, tel: 0845 762 6848; or e-mail: miningreports@ coal.gov.uk

Revised guidance notes

As a consequence of the introduction of electronic enquiries and reports, it has become necessary to revise the 1998 guidance notes and directory and introduce more appropriate terms and conditions of operation.

These revisions are currently under discussion between the Law Society and the Coal Authority and when these have been completed an announcement will be made and the revised guidance and terms and conditions will be available on the Web site.

l Additional contacts: NLIS Searchflow - customer sales, tel: 0870 7559940; fax: 0870 9909949; e-mail: searchflow@searchflow.co.ukWeb site: www.searchflow.co.uk

TM NLIS Search - TM Property Service Ltd (formerly known as Teramedia Ltd): helpdesk, tel: 0870 740 7833 - fax: 0870 7410426; e-mail: helpdesk@ tmproperty.co.ukWeb site: www.tmproperty.co.uk

Transaction Online - MacDonald Dettwiler (Channel) Ltd: Katie O'Sullivan and Tom Plews - Customer Services & Support Line, tel: 0800 0854951; e-mail: support@transaction-online.co.ukWeb site: www.transaction-online.

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