The 1998 edition of the Law Society Guidance Notes and Directory which governs the operation of the coal mining search scheme with the Coal Authority was published in April 1998 and distributed to each solicitors' office in England and Wales.

The improvements to the directory and means of identifying whether or not a search is required to be made have been well received.The Mining Report Surface Damage System (MRSDS) computer system was introduced by the Coal Authority at Mansfield in the summer and encountered unexpected technical problems and lead-in time for the training of staff which resulted in delays in the turn-around time being experienced by practitioners.

Such delays have been improved and the Coal Authority hopes that by end March 1999 some 80% of searches will be returned within two working days of receipt.Despite the recommendations of the guidance notes that a plan of the property should accompany the search, some 20% of searches do not provide such a plan which results in delay in identification of the boundaries of the property and in the preparation of the report.

The revised Con 29M coal mining search was introduced in April 1998.

Some practitioners continue to use the previous edition of the form which causes delay in the preparation of the report.CIRENCESTER AND GLOSSOPNo coal mining search is required to be made in respect of any property in either Cirencester or Glossop.

Inadvertently, the directory has included these as places where a search should be made.BRISTOLSome confusion has arisen as to whether a coal mining search is required to be made in respect of some properties in particular districts of Bristol.

The Unitary District of Bristol itself is listed in the directory but only some of the places within the district are separately listed.

Some places within the Bristol Unitary District are not listed in the directory but searches are required to be made in respect of properties situate in those places.The table shows a list of places in the Unitary District of Bristol and the places listed in bold type are those in respect of which a search is required to be made.The list also contains the names (not listed in bold) of some places in Bristol which are not listed in the directory but should be listed followed by an asterisk denoting that these are places in which, although there are no past or present coal mining activities, coal bearing strata are known or expected to be present and, although some parts of these resources may - subject to obtaining planning permission and a licence from the Coal Authority - be worked at some future date, there are no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.Arno's ValeAshley DownAshton GateAvonmouthBaptist MillsBarton HillBedminsterBedminster DownBishopstonBishopsworthBower AshtonBrentry*BrislingtonClay HillClifton*Clifton Wood*Coombe Dingle*CothamDundry*EastonEastvilleFiltonFishpondsHenbury*Henyrove*Henleaze*HorfieldHotwellsKing's Weston*KingswoodKingsdown*KnowleLawrence Weston*MontpelierNewtownNorthvilleRedfieldRedlandSt Anne'sSt Anne's ParkSt GeorgeSt Paul'sSt Philip'sMarchSea Mills*SirehamptonSneyd Park*Southmead*SouthvilleSpeedwellStapletonStockwoodStoke Bishop*TotterdownTyndall's ParkWarmleyWestburyon Trym*Westbury Park*WhitehallLLANGWMA coal mining search is required to be made in respect of any property in Llangwm in Pembrokeshire which should be regarded as listed in the directory in bold type and not as at present.CONGLETON BUGLAWTON HIGHTOWN AND MOSSLEY (CHESHIRE)These places are listed in the directory in bold type but it has now been established that no search is required to be made in respect of any property in these places.

The places should now be regarded as remaining listed in the directory but followed by an asterisk denoting (in accordance with para 2.4 of the 1998 guidance notes) that these are places in which, although there are no past or present coal mining activities, coal bearing strata are known or expected to be present and, although some parts of these resources may - subject to obtaining planning permission and a licence from the Coal Authority - be worked at some future date, there are no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.- The Coal Authority Web site will include the 1998 guidance notes and directory which incorporates the revisions reported: www.coal.gov.uk.