Introducing the ‘coal revolution’: the new way of searching for coal risk

In a dynamic and evolving property market, there are still demands for precision and efficiency. That’s why our parent company Landmark is proud to introduce one of the most significant advancements in their new product line-up—our redefined approach to coal risk assessments.

Landmark have transformed the way coal mining-related risks are evaluated, providing conveyancers and solicitors with more accurate information and reducing unnecessary delays and search costs in the property transaction process

How does it work?

The ‘coal revolution’ in Landmark’s Homecheck Residential, EnviroSearch Residential, and RiskView Residential products provide a unique and streamlined approach to coal risk assessments. Here’s how it works across our product range:

1. Homecheck Residential and EnviroSearch Residential:
   
   • These reports now come with a Certification that, in cases of ‘No’ or ‘Low’ coal mining related risk, a Coal report is not required. Therefore, if a property is located within a coal mining-affected area, but no relevant record of mining activity is present, the report will confirm that there is no need to order a coal report and certify the accuracy of this statement. We can do this as the certification is based upon a unique dataset available only to us.
   • This Certification, is supported by £1 million indemnity insurance, providing assurance and coverage against loss through inaccuracy. This is a market-first feature, ensuring your clients are protected while reducing the need for additional searches.
   • This innovation significantly reduces the occurrence of false positives, which means fewer unnecessary alerts and a reduction in the number of occasions when a follow-on Coal report is required.
   • If further action is needed based on our alert, you have the option to seamlessly order a Landmark Coal Residential or Landmark Coal CON29M report for more in-depth information.
     
2. RiskView Residential:
   
   • You also benefit from the same alert in RiskView Residential. However, this product takes it a step further. When a Coal report is required, it’s automatically included in the report, saving you the time, money and effort of ordering it separately.
   • This integration provides a smoother and more efficient process, ensuring you receive all the necessary information in one comprehensive report.

Benefits of the ‘coal revolution’

The improvements in our coal risk assessments offer a range of benefits designed to streamline the conveyancing process and provide peace of mind for both conveyancers and their clients:

• Certified as No Search Required supported by Indemnity: Alongside and integral to the Coal Screening Data Layer is Landmark’s certification as to the result’s accuracy, where ‘No’ or ‘Low’ risk is identified. In the unlikely event that a claim should be made, Landmark’s certification is backed by a £1M indemnity policy.
• Refined Alerts: Our new approach ensures that further action flags are now the most refined in the industry. This precision helps avoid unnecessary delays and focuses on the risks that truly require attention.
• Symbiosis between Alerts and Full Reports: The seamless connection between our alert system and full coal mining reports is another unique selling point. Whether you need just the alert or the full CON29M, the transition is smooth, saving time, effort and unnecessary costs.
• Efficiency and Cost Savings: By reducing false positives and automatically including necessary coal reports where applicable, our new coal risk assessment system helps make conveyancing more efficient, ultimately saving both time and money. This also empowers fix rate conveyancing.

A new era for coal risk assessments

With Landmark’s coal revolution, you can expect faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive coal risk assessments. The symbiosis between alert systems and full reports, combined with the added security of our Certified No Search Required, flag’s accuracy being supported by £1 million indemnity, sets a new industry standard for coal mining risk assessments.

This all means fewer delays, fewer unnecessary searches, and a more streamlined conveyancing process for you and your clients.

Take the next steps

Ready to experience the Coal Revolution for yourself? Download the Product Comparison Matrix and Toolkit today to see how Landmark’s new residential product portfolio can transform your environmental searches and make your conveyancing process more efficient.

---

The original version of this article was originally published by Landmark Information Group. For more information from the full range of Environmental Insights remastered products available from OneSearch, click here.

Environmental risks play a crucial role in property transactions, and as conveyancers and solicitors, conducting thorough environmental searches is key to safeguarding your clients’ interests. 

Our parent company Landmark has long been the trusted provider of comprehensive environmental search reports. Now, with their enhanced residential product portfolio, we cover all environmental risks included in every Landmark residential report—allowing you to choose the report best suited to you, from basic identification to full expert analysis.

In addition to providing a more flexible and thorough assessment, we’re excited to announce two major improvements: the inclusion of climate change modules in the Landmark’s EnviroSearch and RiskView reports, plus an innovative approach to coal risk assessment. These advancements ensure that you’re equipped to handle today’s environmental challenges more effectively than ever.

The key environmental risks every conveyancer should consider:

• Contaminated Land
• Flood
• Coal Mining
• Climate Change
• Planning
• Ground Stability
• Radon
• Energy & Infrastructure
• Planning Constraints

These risks can significantly impact property value, insurability and enjoyment of living in, what might be, your dream home. Landmark’s enhanced portfolio provides reports tailored to different levels of risk assessment, giving conveyancers the flexibility to choose the depth of analysis that best fits their needs.

Introducing the ‘coal revolution’: the new way of searching for coal risk

One of the most significant improvements in the new product line-up is the reimagined approach to coal risk assessments. With Landmark’s coal revolution, you can expect faster, more accurate and more comprehensive coal risk assessments. The symbiosis between alert and full assessments in the reports, combined with the added security of an equivalent to a No Search Required Certificate with £1 million indemnity, sets a new industry standard for coal mining risk assessments.

Climate Change: now included in EnviroSearch and RiskView

Landmark’s enhanced residential product portfolio: A closer look

Landmark’s enhanced suite of products is designed to meet the varied needs of conveyancers, from basic checks to detailed assessments. The three key products in this portfolio are:

• Homecheck Residential: This report provides an initial assessment across all key risks, identifying potential issues that may require further investigation. It offers an overview that helps you determine if more in-depth analysis is necessary and whether a supplementary report is needed.
• EnviroSearch Residential: This report offers a more detailed assessment, including the newly added climate change module. It provides a breakdown of risks and a full evaluation of each environmental peril, perfect for when more certainty is needed.
• RiskView Residential: The most comprehensive product, RiskView Residential, includes full data assessments and expert analysis through Landmark’s environmental consultants. With the addition of the climate change module, this product delivers the highest level of accuracy and foresight, ensuring that all risks are meticulously evaluated.

Using Flood Risk as an example: the same site, different experience

To demonstrate how these products differ in practice, let’s look at a typical scenario involving flood risk assessment:

Scenario: A Homebuyer has had their offer accepted and is eagerly waiting to arrange their move in date. Before this is possible, their conveyancer is reviewing their Environmental Search to see if there are any concerns to flag to the Homebuyer.

• Homecheck Residential: The report identifies that the property is in a flood-prone area, prompting further investigation. The assessment highlights potential risks but does not provide detailed specifics.

Report outcome – Identified

• EnviroSearch Residential: This report offers a full flood assessment, breaking down the risk by specific perils such as River, Coastal, Surface Water, and Groundwater. In this case, a high risk for surface water flooding is identified, and recommendations are provided, including whether the site is insurable under standard terms. This product also includes the climate change module, offering insights into how future environmental changes might impact the property from flooding.

Report Outcome – Further Action

• RiskView Residential: The RiskView report identifies the high risk of surface water flooding and refers the case to Landmark’s environmental consultants for expert evaluation. The consultants determine that the high-risk area is limited to an adjacent road, allowing them to downgrade the overall flood risk and provide a “Passed” outcome. Additionally, the climate change module helps evaluate long-term impacts, offering an even more comprehensive risk profile for the property and confirms the risk doesn’t worsen over time.

Report Outcome – Passed

Clarity & confidence: key benefits

These enhanced residential products offer the most comprehensive environmental reports on the market, presented in a format that’s easy to use and understand. Key benefits include:

• Comprehensive Coverage: Every report covers all key environmental risks, from coal mining to planning and everything in between, ensuring thorough due diligence.
• Clear Risk Assessment: The user-friendly format makes it easy for conveyancers and clients to understand the environmental risks and how they have been assessed.
• Enhanced Usability: The reports retain a fixed structure to keep them familiar from one case to the next. The intuitive layout and navigation throughout make locating information straightforward.
• Assessment Options: You can choose the level of detail required, with options ranging from basic checks to full expert analysis, including new features like the new innovative coal alert.

Comprehensive due diligence, made easy

Landmark’s new portfolio empowers you to provide your clients with the highest level of due diligence, helping them make informed decisions and avoid unpleasant surprises down the line. By addressing all key environmental risks in one report, you can confidently manage the complexities of environmental due diligence with ease.

Your next step

To learn more about how Landmark’s enhanced residential products and streamline your conveyancing process, download and review the Product Comparison Matrix and Toolkit today. These resources provide a side-by-side comparison of the different levels of risk assessment available, helping you make the best choice for your clients.

---

The original version of this article was originally published by Landmark Information Group. For more information from the full range of Environmental Insights remastered products available from OneSearch, click here.

Climate change is no longer a ‘next generation’ threat; it’s on our doorstep impacting many different aspects of our lives, not least within the property sector.

Buildings are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and the effects of climate change are posing considerable risks to property values and future habitability. It is now undeniable that our sector needs to adapt.

---

“The property sector is a big part of the problem, as today, 40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from our buildings. If left unchecked, this is set to double by 2050.”

– Chris Loaring, Group Sustainability Director, Landmark Information Group 

---

To understand how the property industry is starting to adapt, Landmark conducted comprehensive market research of 150 senior level employees working in estate agency, residential conveyancing, and mortgage lending across England, Scotland and Wales. Our findings have helped us gauge the growing commitment towards sustainability, and how we can help support and nurture this further.

The consensus from the industry

Our report, “Climate change in the property sector: a cross-market perspective,” takes a thorough dive into the findings:

Growing concern

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. A significant majority of property professionals (72%) recognise the urgent need to address its impacts. This growing awareness is driving a shift towards sustainable practices within the industry.

Client awareness

Property professionals said that clients are increasingly concerned about the potential effects of climate change on their property purchases. Flooding (60%), energy efficiency (58%), and local planning (56%) are among the top priorities for homebuyers. As climate risks become more apparent, these concerns are influencing decision-making processes.

Shifting practices

The property industry is adapting to the changing climate, and more professionals are actively advising clients. For example, mortgage lenders are, on average, advising 48% of their clients on potential climate change risks to their property, a similar number can also be seen from estate agents (49%).

Room for improvement

While the industry is making progress, there is still room for improvement. Less than 60% of conveyancing firms are currently on track to meet carbon emission targets. This highlights the need for continued efforts to reduce the industry’s environmental impact.

Encouragingly, more businesses have created net zero strategies (76%, up from 52% in 2023). Conveyancers have made significant progress, with 48% having published their own strategies. This is a demonstrable sign at just how much positive momentum towards solutions the industry is taking when it comes to the fight against climate change.

Download our report

To gain a deeper understanding of the trends and insights from our research, download your copy of ‘Climate change in the property sector: a cross-market perspective‘ here:

*World Green Building Council report: Embodied Carbon – World Green Building Council (worldgbc.org)

The strong winds and torrential rains of Storm Babet made landfall on 18 October 2023. Storm Babet was named after a woman who visited a Dutch weather agency KMNI open day and asked for her name to be used “because [she] was born during a storm.”

Discover the Meteorological Insights

What was the human impact?

• 7 killed
• 2,146 properties flooded
• 100,000 people affected by power cuts

Most affected: East Scotland, Derbyshire, North Wales, County Cork.

Environment Agency (EA) confirmed 100,000 properties were protected with 20 high-volume pumps and five small-volume pumps deployed across several sites. EA’s flood warning service sent out over 300,000 messages by email, telephone and text during Storm Babet.

The impact on businesses

Inchcape JLR dealership in Derby, which opened in 2019 on the city’s former cattle market, closed due to damage
caused by the River Derwent flooding.

It was reported that despite Environment Agency concerns the “dealership would end up under two metres of water – or more – in a ‘one in 100-year’ flood,” Derby City Council had approved the development.

Landmark pulled an Argyll Environmental report on the dealership’s site, and the data is clear: the development site was at moderate to high risk of flooding with moderate groundwater, surface pluvial and other factors putting it at risk of flooding.
There is even considerable history of flooding in this location, which would make insuring the plot challenging– and certainly expensive.

Discover Landmark’s analysis of this site.

Article originally published by Landmark Information Group.

Our recent webinar ‘The Law Society Guidance on the Impact of Climate Change on Solicitors: What does this mean for solicitors?’ is now available to watch on demand.

The webinar, hosted by Landmark, focussed on The Law Society Guidance on the Impact of Climate Change on Solicitors, and was originally shown on the 4th May.

The webinar was specifically designed for solicitors as a tool to help them understand the guidance and its implications.

The session covers two main areas of the guidance.

• Firstly, reducing the climate change impact of the law firm and its clients, which includes assessing annual carbon emissions and setting targets to achieve net zero by 2050.
• Secondly, the guidance examines climate change risks, including the duties of advising and warning clients about such risks.

Our distinguished speakers are Kirsty Green-Mann, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Burges Salmon LLP, Professor Robert Lee at Birmingham University, and Simon Boyle, Environmental Lawyer at Landmark. 

AGENDA:

• Summary of the Law Society Guidance and what this means for solicitors’ advice
• What’s the role that a law firm plays in reducing its carbon footprint and disclosing climate-related risks and opportunities?
• An overview of how Burges Salmon has implemented Net Zero
• Panel Discussion: What are the requirements for lawyers to fulfil the guidance and next steps for them
• Q&A

To watch the webinar on demand, please visit this page, and fill in the form.

This survey and guide reveals how a desire for more information about climate and the environment may start changing residential conveyancing processes. 

The transition to Net Zero is a long term goal, but it’s clear home movers are factoring climate change into their decisions now. Our parent company Landmark’s survey shows there’s already a desire for more data, earlier in the process. It’s a revealing snapshot.

Download the guide to find out:

1. Residential conveyancers views on who is responsible for advising on climate change 
2. The percentage of home movers prepared to invest in energy efficiency measures 
3. How agents and conveyancers are handling the need for a Net Zero strategy
4. What percentage of firms are reporting on future climate change risks to their clients 

Residential estate agents and conveyancers are trusted to source the right information at the right time. This survey shows that many firms want more guidance from authoritative organisations on the provision of climate change information to home movers.   

Landmark Information Group provides climate data to colleagues working in every part of the property industry’s value chain. Our work includes surveys and reports like this one, surfacing insights on subjects such as Climate Change, Digital Transformation, and the Home Mover Experience.  

Download the guide, understand colleagues’ views on reporting around climate change and information exchange with vendors and purchasers.  

Complete the form, we’ll send our guide – View on Climate Change Information in Residential Conveyancing – straight to your in-box.