About our services
The charges for services you can request from the Coal Authority.
1. Fees for property searches and reports
2. Licensing charges
Please note that VAT is not levied on licence charges, but does apply to legal costs.
2.1 Application for licence/access agreement charges
| Licence or agreement type | Minimum charge | Maximum charge | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Operating or Conditional Licence (with the exception of Forest of Dean Licence) | New Licence or Variation to Existing Licence | £575 | £13,800 Maximum area 10,000 hectares or £13,800 Only for increases in area | £575 per hectare |
| Underground Mining Forest of Dean Licence (in a freeminer’s gale in the Hundred of St Briavels) | New Licence or Variation to Existing Licence | N/A | N/A | £50 flat rate application fee |
| Exploration Licences | New Licence or Variation to Existing Licence | £575 | £11,500 Maximum area 2,000 hectares or £11,500 Only for increases in area | £5.75 per hectare |
| Abandoned Mine Methane Access Agreement | Agreement or Variation to Existing Agreement | £575 | £2,875 Maximum area of 500 hectares or £2,875 Only for increases in area | £5.75 per hectare |
| Coal Bed Methane Single Site Access Agreement | New Agreement or Variation to Existing Agreement | £575 | £2,875 Maximum area of 500 hectares or £2,875 Only for increases in area | £5.75 per hectare |
| Coal Bed Methane Blanket Access Agreement | New Agreement or Variation to Existing Agreement | N/A | £5,750 flat rate Maximum area Petroleum Licence | £575 flat rate for Variation |
| Coal Bed Methane Supplemental Access Agreement (following grant of Blank Access Agreement) | New Agreement or Variation to Existing Agreement | £1,150 flat rate Maximum area 200 hectares | £575 flat rate for Variation | |
| Mine water heat access agreement | Exploratory phase | N/A | N/A | £3,000 |
| Deep Energy Boreholes Access Agreement | New Agreement or Variation to Existing Agreement | N/A | N/A | £575 flat rate |
| Incidental Coal Agreement | New Agreement or Variation to Existing Agreement | N/A | N/A | £250 flat rate |
All fees are based on a grant of licence/access agreement in the standard form.
2.2 Grants of licence/access agreement charges
| Licence type | Charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Operating or Conditional Licence (with exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | New Licence or Existing Licences | £1,150 or Equivalent Annual Fee for Operating Licence terms extension £575 for all other variations |
| Underground Mining Forest of Dean Licence (in a freeminer’s gale in the Hundred of St Briavels) | New Licence or Existing Licences | £50 |
| Exploration Licences | New Licence or Existing Licences | £575 |
| Abandoned Mine Methane Access Agreement | New Agreement or Existing Licences | £575 |
| Coal Bed Methane Single Site Access Agreement | New Agreement or Existing Licences | £575 |
| Coal Bed Methane Blanket Access Agreement | New Agreement or Existing Licences | £575 |
| Coal Bed Methane Supplemental Access Agreement (following grant of Blanket Access Agreement | New Agreement or Existing Licences | £575 Variation Only |
| Mine water heat access agreement | Production phase | £2,750 |
| Deep Energy Borehole Access Agreement | New Agreement or Existing Licences | £575 |
| Incidental Coal Agreement | New Agreement or Existing Licences | No Charge |
2.3 Annual charges
| Licence type | Charges |
|---|---|
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Licence (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Operating - The charge is based on an estimate of tonnage to be produced in the following 12 months. Operating Licences - for annual production of up to 5,000 tonnes: £575 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Licence (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Operating - The charge is based on an estimate of tonnage to be produced in the following 12 months. Operating Licences of 5,001 to 250,000 tonnes: £1,150 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Licence (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Operating - The charge is based on an estimate of tonnage to be produced in the following 12 months. Operating Licences of more than 250,000 tonnes: £5,750.00 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Licence (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Conditional - £575 (Note: If an exploration licence has been granted with a conditional licence there is only one annual fee) |
| Underground Mining Forest of Dean Licence (in freeminer’s gale in the Hundred of St Briavels) | £50 |
| Exploration Licence | £575 |
| Abandoned Mine Methane Access Agreement | £575 |
| Coal Bed Methane Single Site Access Agreement | £575 |
| Coal Bed Methane Blanket Access Agreement | £575 |
| Coal Bed Methane Supplemental Access Agreement (following grant of Blanket Access Agreement) | £575 |
| Mine water heat access agreement | £1,500 a year for each operational borehole |
| Deep Energy Borehole Access Agreement | £575 |
| Incidental Coal Agreement | £250 |
2.4 Payments for coal or rights in relation to coal
| Licence type | Charges | |
|---|---|---|
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Operating | £0.17 per tonne production related rent |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £0.30 per hectare paid on Grant |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £0.35 per hectare paid at the end of Year 1 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £0.40 per hectare paid at the end of Year 2 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £0.45 per hectare paid at the end of Year 3 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £0.50 per hectare paid at the end of Year 4 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £0.60 per hectare paid at the end of Year 5 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £1.15 per hectare paid at the end of Year 6 |
| Underground Mining, Surface Mining or Underground Coal Gasification Lease (with the exception of Forest of Dean charges below) | Option for Lease associated with Conditional Licence | £1.75 per hectare paid at the end of Year 7 |
| Underground Mining Forest of Dean Lease (in a freeminer’s gale in the Hundred of St Briavels) | £0.17 per tonne production related rent if the Coal Authority are the Galee, otherwise no charge | |
| Exploration Licence | £5.75 per hectare for 4 months exclusivity | |
| Abandoned Mine Methane Access Agreement | Site specific valuation taken for new production holes only | |
| Coal Bed Methane Single Site Access Agreement | Site specific valuation taken for new production holes only | |
| Coal Bed Methane Blanket Access Agreement | None | |
| Coal Bed Methane Supplemental Access Agreement (following grant of Blanket Access Agreement) | Site specific valuation taken for new production holes only | |
| Deep Energy Boreholes Access Agreement | Site specific valuation taken for new production holes only | |
| Incidental Coal Agreement | £1.00 per tonne production related rent |
3. Permissions charges
Charges are calculated upon one of the following:
-
the number of boreholes
-
the area of the application
-
the number of mine entries to be investigated and/or treated
Please note that once processing of the application has commenced no refund of the application charge will be made. Application charges are non-transferable.
We have introduced a 5% discount on application fees for permit applicants who:
-
have been compliant with their previous permits, with no concerns raised by the Coal Authority or Health and Safety Executive
-
have no outstanding closure reports from previously issued permits
-
have not conducted any activity on our Permitting non-compliance policy
-
are using a contractor whose operations have been audited by an independent mining engineer within 15 months prior to the permit application
Applicants claiming a discount must provide proof of the independent mining engineer audit.
Please do not schedule works until the permit certificate has been issued.
Permission to enter or disturb Coal Authority mining interests
Express applications
Express (5 working days) applications are charged at 4 times the normal applicable rate. These are subject to availability and restricted to site investigation applications that do not relate to mine entries, also known as shafts or adits.
Further exemptions may apply.
Expedited applications
Expedited (10 working days) applications are charged at 2 and a half times the normal applicable rate and will be subject to availability.
Standard applications
Standard (20 plus working days) applications are charged the normal applicable rate.
Submission of information required as part of intervention measures and notices
Retrospective submission of closure reports and information required as part of intervention and enforcement action against unpermitted work or breach of permit conditions will be charged at one and half times the rate for a standard application for similar activities.
Where we issue a notice for unauthorised work we require the relevant party to submit the necessary closure report covering works undertaken. An acknowledgement letter will be issued, however we will consider the advice of the Health and Safety Executive regarding the granting of a permit.
Time and material charges
Where additional time is spent on an application after more than 2 requests for the same information we will charge for time and materials costs based on current Coal Authority charge-out rates.
These will be invoiced on a case by case basis. Time and material charges will also apply to any permit project work.
Water Resources and flood defence consents
Consents for capital flood defence infrastructure will be charged for at the same rate as standard permit applications to recover costs.
Making changes to a current permit
We recognise that in some cases, new information arises after a permit has been issued, which will require changes to the permit or approved methods and techniques. An application to change or vary the permit can be submitted to formalise these changes and prevent a breach of permit conditions.
An application for a significant variation to a current permit will be charged at 60% of the standard application fee or the costs of the additional new activity, whichever is lower.
A significant variation is any variation that requires a technical assessment to be done.
A minor administrative change or variation can be applied for changes which do not require technical assessment, such as an application made to change administrative details of permit, which include name changes where a company changes its name but retains the same management structure, systems and insurance.
An application to extend time validity of a current permit can be made to extend the time period of a permit only. This does not require any additional technical assessment to be done.
Multiple activities on same permit application
Where one permit application is made to cover multiple activities on a single site, the application fee payable is the aggregate sum of each of the proposed activities.
If multiple phases of work are required in relation to a mine entry, such as investigation followed by capping or grouting followed by capping, these can be covered on a single application with the permit issued on a conditional basis, depending on the information available.
This allows the initial phase to commence with the applicant returning to complete the engineering appraisal process at a later date. The application fee will be the sum of the mine entry investigation and the mine treatment activities.
Permitting charges are shown inclusive of VAT. Payment can be made by debit or credit card or BACS.
Payment must be made in full before the permit can be processed and granted.
| Permitting charges based upon | Minimum charge | Maximum charge | Charges per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area of application - any number of shafts and adits are included within the fee | £135 | £3,375 (for over and above 2.5 hectares) | £135 per 0.1 hectare (1,000m2) |
| Number of boreholes for initial investigation purposes only | £135 | £3,375 | £67.50 per borehole |
| The number of mine entries to be investigated or treated, when not included in the area charge | £135 | £3,375 | £135 per shaft or adit investigation or treatment |
| The number of mine entries to be treated, when not included in the area charge | £135 | £3,375 | £135 per shaft or adit investigation or treatment |
| Application including mine entry and treatment | £135 | £3,375 | Aggregate fees for each shaft or adit to be investigated or treated |
| Application for water resources consents relating to capital flood risk projects | £135 | £3,375 | Charged for at same rate as standard permit applications |
| Other fees | Cost |
|---|---|
| Administration fee for minor changes | £60 |
| Application fee for permit extension | £135 |
These fee rates reflect the costs of the services that the Permissions Team provides, in line with the principles in Managing Public Money May 2023 document.
The Coal Authority permit permissions team is committed to restricting its costs as far as possible and is not permitted to make any profit from its fees.
4. Property enquiries charges
Historic Enquiries charges
| Service | Charge | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal letter to confirm plans approval re: structural precautions covenants | £140 | £28 | £168 |
| Request search of Coal Authority records for land ownership history | £150 | £30 | £180 |
| Certified deeds & documents | £90 | £18 | £108 |
| Uncertified deeds & documents | £65 | £13 | £78 |
| Certified title deed copy | £250 | £50 | £300 |
5. Historical mining records and records management
Visitors to our Mining Heritage Centre can view digital and paper records from 9am to 4.30pm on Mondays to Thursdays and from 9am to 4pm on Fridays.
Mining Heritage Centre
The Coal Authority
200 Lichfield Lane
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 4RG
Visits are free of charge but you are advised to make an appointment to ensure a computer is available for viewing our digital records.
| For the colour printing of originals in paper format | Charges excluding VAT |
|---|---|
| Up to A2 (420mm x 594mm) | £15 |
| Above A2 (420mm x 594mm) up to A1 (594mm x 841mm) | £25 |
| Above A1 (594mm x 841mm) up to A0 (841mm x 1188mm) | £35 |
| Above A0 (841mm x 1188mm) up to Max (900mm x 1500mm) | £45 |
| Photocopying (A4) | £0.40 |
| Photocopying (A3) | £0.45 |
Digital copies of individual plans are £35 excluding VAT.
Geological data:
| For copies of: | Charges: |
|---|---|
| Digital Opencast (Surface Mining) borehole data (per borehole, without scientific data) | £2 |
| Digital Opencast (Surface Mining) borehole data (per borehole, with scientific data) | £2.50 |
British Coal photographs:
| For copies of photographs: | Charges: |
|---|---|
| Size: A4 | £10 |
Other historical records
| For copies of: | Charges: |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of Property Deeds (per deed - plans charged extra if applicable) | £65 +£25 per sheet |
| Uncertified copy of Property Deeds (per deed - plans charged extra if applicable) | £65 |
| Copy of a Court Order (per order - plans charged extra if applicable) | £50 |
| Copy of Mining Lease (per lease - plans charged extra if applicable) | £50 |
| Copy of entry in Coal Holding Register (per entry) Application Plans extra | £40 |
| Visits to view entries on the Licence Register (per entry) | None |
| Copy of entry on Licence Register (per entry) | £40 |
| Notices | £40 |
Search fees
| For copies of: | Charges: |
|---|---|
| Detailed search by a surveyor (minimum charge covers 1 hour of work and is currently £92.67 per person per hour (or part hour) + VAT). This will provide you with a list of abandonment plans that show workings which cross over the submitted site. For larger sites that will take over 1 hour, customers will be informed of this before they are required to make payment | £92.67 |
| Abandoned Mines Catalogue Search (per search) + VAT. This will provide you with a list of all abandonment plans in the general area of the submitted site | £50 |
| Interrogation of Wisdom data base (per search) | £50 |
Please note that all charges for searches are payable in advance
6. Contact
Historic Records - Mining Records:
Telephone: 01623 637 225
Historic Records - Records Management:
Telephone: 01623 637 225
Historic Records - Land and Property:
Telephone: 0345 762 6848
Licensing and Permissions:
Telephone: 01623 637 339
Property Searches and Reports:
Telephone: 0345 762 6848
All written enquiries should be directed to the relevant department/contact at:
The Coal Authority
200 Lichfield Lane
Berry Hill
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 4RG
DX716176 Mansfield 5
While the Coal Authority will provide a document search and inspection service it will not interpret or analyse information it holds (except for the Interpretive Mining Report).
The Coal Authority disclaims any responsibility for the accuracy of information contained in historic records, and notes, annotations and amendments which appear on documents, including plans, logs and analytical reports.
The Coal Authority will not take responsibility for the provision of correct data when enquiries are based on inaccurate information.