Coal Mine Shaft Investigation & Treatment, Wigan

As part of a planning application we developed a Coal Mining Risk Assessment, which highlighted the presence of a suspected abandoned mine shaft on neighbouring land, but close to the development (residential) site boundary.

Coal Mine Shaft Investigation & Treatment, Wigan

Coal Mine Shaft Investigation & Treatment, Wigan

There were no records for the shaft, other than the fact that proven workings were at at a depth of 162m beneath the site.

Unfortunately, the area that needed to be investigated for the suspected mine shaft was covered by a building. As a result, a separate planning application was required to demolish the building in order to facilitate the shaft site investigation.

Trenching on a 20m square grid basis, showed that the mine shaft was indeed located beneath the demolished building structure.

As a result, a mine shaft cap was designed, with a programme of grouting implemented. The shaft proved to be 62m deep and a 5m exclusion zone around it applied.