Service Areas
land and Mineral owners
Minerals are a legal interest in land which may have a separate freehold title to the surface. Clarifying a landowner's rights to minerals is a vital first step to unlocking value, either through extraction or compensation for minerals sterilised. Mineral Surveying Associates have collectively over 50 years of minerals estate management experience. We provide property services to surface and mineral estate owners, whether freehold, leasehold or manorial in origin.
mineral extraction & Renewable Energy companies
The extraction of natural resources underpins all modern economies. Mineral extraction companies require the certainty that they have the required property rights and regulatory permissions on which to conduct their business. Our Chartered Minerals Surveyors are experienced in determining ownership and carrying out market negotiations to secure the required rights. We are also experienced in addressing issues arising with the regulatory authorities involved in minerals extraction within the UK.
developers of the built environment
All built development requires firm foundations - physical, legal, and regulatory. Physical certainty may necessitate ground investigation, but the first stage will always require a desk assessment of the recorded geology and past mining hazards. Legal certainty may require an investigation of mineral title to avoid claims of mineral trespass at a later stage. More immediate problems may arise from regulatory uncertainty if the proposed development is in a Mineral Safeguarding Area, requiring consideration of prior extraction, or a coal mining risk assessment if located over coal bearing strata. We also have experience in the waste and renewable energy specialisms often linked to former mineral development land.
local authorities and regulators
Mineral extraction is a necessary part of the development process requiring consideration by planning and other regulatory authorities. Conflict and uncertainty can arise between minerals and other policy considerations, which may require an assessment as to whether a particular deposit or mineral planning permission is commercially viable. Where compensation may be payable to owners or exploration companies for loss of development rights, our Chartered Minerals Surveyors can provide robust advice on what may or may not be reasonable.