In a contract notice published on 27 October, the Coal Authority announced that it is retendering the current drilling and grouting framework that will expire on 1 March 2024.
The estimated total value of the new framework is £9.75M and works under it are due to last four years.
Drilling services required under the framework include drilling into ground that has been impacted by mining related subsidence or instabilities. This work will be in both open spaces such as fields or roads, as well as in more restricted areas such as within the boundaries of properties.
The work will also involve the stabilisation of the impacted ground via cementitious based suspension grouts or resin based solution grouts.
A typical work order will involve the establishment of a secure construction site and setting up a drilling rig. This will be followed by a programme of works to provide an engineered solution that restores the impacted area to use and resolves the public safety hazard that mining related subsidence poses.
The framework comprises three lots. Lot one covers drilling and grouting with unobstructed open access equipment. Lot two covers drilling with restricted height and restricted access equipment. Lot three covers drilling and solution grouting with restricted height and restricted access equipment.
Works for the framework will take place across coalfields in five regions:
Region 1 - Scotland East and West
Region 2 - Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham, Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle
Region 3 - North Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire
Region 4 - South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Region 5 - Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, South Wales, Pembrokeshire and North Gloucestershire (Forest of Dean)
Contractors may also be required to carry out ground investigations within Mid Wales to examine metal mining fields.
The Coal Authority was established by Parliament to carry out specific statutory duties, set out in the Coal Industry Act 1994. These are associated with licensing coal mining operations; managing property and the historic legacy arising from the ownership of the coal reserves and underground workings; settling subsidence damage claims not falling on coal mine operators; and providing access to coal mining information.
The Coal Authority is funded by grant in aid from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
