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The Coal Authority was established in 1994 as part of the process of the privatisation of the coal industry. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body which is primarily funded by grant-in-aid amounting to some £27 million per year. As sponsor, BERR is accountable for the activities and performance of the Authority. BERR approves the strategic framework including appointment of the board and sets the budget.
The Authority employs 140 staff and is based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The main responsibilities are: licensing, repairing subsidence damage, treating minewater pollution, disseminating mining information and managing former coalfield property.
As owner of the nation’s coal resource, the Authority issues licences to mining operators for the exploration and extraction of coal. It monitors licence operations and undertakes annual inspections of all operational mines and opencast sites.
The Authority repairs property which has been damaged as a result of old coal mining activities. Where subsidence arises from new mining, the private coal operators are responsible for repairing the damage. The Authority also operates an emergency call out system to ensure that incidents of subsidence and other surface hazards throughout the coalfields are made safe within six hours of a report.
When property is damaged as a result of coal mining subsidence, owners are legally entitled to have the damage repaired at no cost to themselves or their insurance companies. The DTI (now BERR) produced a leaflet which explains the rights of property owners and it contains an application form for the repair of the damage. The leaflet – Coal Mining Subsidence Damage; A Guide To Claimants' Rights – was updated in December 2004. You can download a copy of the leaflet and the Damage Notice below or order a hard copy of 'Coal Mining Subsidence Damage; A Guide To Claimants' Rights' online via BERR Publications.
The Authority is undertaking a programme to deal with minewater discharges from disused coal mines. The programme involves the construction of schemes for the removal of contaminating materials from the discharges. After treatment the minewater can safely be allowed to flow into river systems. Eight new schemes are now being implemented annually.
The Authority provides property buyers in coalfield areas with information about mining features which might affect individual properties. This could include the location of old mine shafts or planned mining activity. The Mining Reports Service draws on a unique database of mining information and over 500,000 reports are produced annually.
The Authority manages an estate of former coalfield property which has been transferred to it from British Coal. Restoration work is undertaken and where possible property is then sold. Some sites, for example certain disused tips, will remain under long term management by the Authority when alternative use is not possible.
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