Environment
Ground stability and geo risk reports
Not all subsidence is mining subsidence. Shrinkable clay, dissolution features, made ground and natural cavities cause far more damage than most people assume.
What it is
What this search covers
A coal mining search answers one specific question. A ground stability report answers the wider one: what is the ground under this property actually doing, and what could it do.
The report assesses natural ground hazards — shrink-swell clay, running sand, compressible ground, landslide potential, soluble rocks and dissolution features — alongside non-coal mining legacy such as limestone, chalk, tin, clay and stone workings.
Locally, this matters. Parts of Cheshire sit within the brine subsidence compensation district. Parts of the Wirral and Merseyside have significant made ground from dock, industrial and wartime activity.
Included in the report
- Shrink-swell clay and its relationship with nearby trees
- Natural and artificial cavities
- Dissolution features in soluble rocks including salt, gypsum and limestone
- Landslide and slope instability potential
- Compressible and collapsible ground
- Running sand and made ground
- Non-coal mining legacy including limestone, chalk, tin and clay workings
- Brine subsidence where applicable
At a glance
| Turnaround | Varies by property, authority and provider. We give you a realistic timescale when you order — and we work to beat it. |
|---|---|
| Format | PDF report with geological mapping and a hazard rating by mechanism |
| Who orders it | Any property where subsidence risk, historic movement or unusual ground is a concern |
| Category | Environment |
Why it matters
What goes wrong without it
Trees and clay are the commonest subsidence claim in England
Shrinkable clay soils move seasonally, and mature trees amplify the effect. A report that identifies high shrink-swell potential lets a buyer plan, and lets a surveyor look in the right place.
Made ground hides under new development
Former dock, industrial and infill land is routinely redeveloped. The ground beneath a twenty-year-old estate can be far less predictable than the estate suggests.
Questions
Ground Stability & Geo Risk — your questions
Is this the same as a mining search?
No. A coal mining search reports on coal workings and the Coal Authority's records. A ground stability report covers natural hazards and non-coal mining, which the CON29M does not address.
The survey found no cracking. Do we still need it?
A survey is a snapshot of today. A ground stability report describes the mechanism and the potential, which is what informs insurance and future risk.
Does this cover brine subsidence in Cheshire?
Ground stability reports flag brine and salt-related hazard. Where a property sits in the Cheshire brine subsidence compensation district, a specific brine search should also be ordered — tell us the address and we will confirm.
Need this search on a property today?
Send us the address. We will tell you what it needs, what it costs and how long it will take.
Or call 0151 652 4184 — telephone support seven days a week