Property Stability and Sinkholes: Essential Considerations in Conveyancing

Ordinarily when we consider land, we consider what is built on it not what is under it.  For most of us what is under our feet is not a concern, however, where activity, such as mining, might have taken place below a property or there are questions over what constitutes the land/geology, it becomes a lot more important. 

Where activity has taken place beneath a property, this can have implications for the land and whether it is stable enough to take the weight of the structures above. Similarly, in-filled land may not have the same properties as its surrounding natural geology, or the natural geology may not itself be stable for various natural reasons. 

When we order searches against a property, we always recommend obtaining an environmental search to advise of any issues with the stability of the land, and this search result may in turn recommend further searches or investigations, for example a specialist mining search. 

As Conveyancers, when acting for a buyer or lender, we need to ascertain the risks affecting a given property and we might recommend you instruct a suitably qualified and experienced surveyor to investigate the possibility of subsidence, or a further search be undertaken to assess risks relating to ground stability.

 In an area not known for subsidence the residents of Godstone in Surrey, unfortunately discovered they were not immune when a sinkhole appeared which residents believe may have been worsened by historic mining and heavy traffic. 

 Whilst this is an extreme example, we hope none of our clients are ever faced with such a scenario, we do advise steps to check for and hopefully minimise such risks and understandably some lenders will need reassurance before considering a property good security if there is a question over the land’s stability. 

the village cleaved in half when sinkhole 20 metres long and 5 metres deep opened on the high street

https://www.thetimes.com/article/20360fee-b9a5-4772-8064-ccd3a46f9208?shareToken=861619d5b4379d22424aa9bbf29c3139