Despite Nottingham and the wider county having well-documented history of coal mining, it has been revealed that as many as 41% of properties in the city could be at risk of subsidence due to the expansive network of former sandstone mines and tunnels.
A recent white paper written by land search specialists Groundsure highlights the extent of non-coal mining risks in major cities across the UK. The detailed investigations have identified more than 70,000 homes in Nottingham that could be at risk of significant ground movement.
Although ground collapses have previously been rare, climate change is causing the number of sinkholes and surface collapses nationwide to increase due to aspects such as heavy rainfall. The sandstone mines and caves remain beneath the ground of the densely populated city and their structural stability cannot be assumed.
In the summer of 2020, a new cave was discovered in Friar Lane after a sinkhole appeared in a back garden following heavy rainstorms. It exposed a rock-cut shaft, with tool marks visible and was roughly square-shaped.
Scott Lomax, Archaeologist at Nottingham City Council, said: “A large amount of the garden disappeared into the shaft, raising the possibility this was a cave and not simply a deeply cut pit.
“When all the material from the collapse was removed, it revealed a chamber that was about four feet deep leading off the shaft. Given the position of the shaft, it was determined that the cave predated the 19th century home that was built above it. And it was probably much older than that!”
This underlines the importance for homebuyers and lenders to receive the most comprehensive set of historic land use data. If any mining data is missed, the potential risk to the property could be almost impossible to detect.
Malcolm Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Groundsure, said: “There is a widespread distribution of former sandstone mines throughout Nottingham, and many are local to the city centre. Although there have been extensive efforts to record all of them, many more appear year on year.
“As such, it is crucial for conveyancers to thoroughly assess all previous mining activity for the homebuyer, so they have a comprehensive understanding of any potential risk that may occur.”
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