Guidance on Obtaining Permits for Coal Mine Work Updated

Guidance

Get a permit to deal with coal or coal mines

Information about getting permission to enter, disturb or change coal mines or coal managed or owned by the Mining Remediation Authority that’s on your property.

From: Coal Authority and Mining Remediation Authority Published 12 August 2021 Last updated 1 April 2026
— See all updates Get emails about this page Print this page You need a permit to enter, disturb or change coal mines or coal managed or owned by the Mining Remediation Authority that’s on your property.

This includes:

• coal seams under your property
• coal workings, such as existing mine tunnels

• mine entrances
  You need to get a permit if you want to:

• cap the mine

• fill the mine

• drill boreholes through a coal seam

• build over or near to the entrance to the mine
  You need a mining licence or ‘agreement’ to mine coal or extract gas.

How to apply

Fill in the online application form. You’ll need to register first if you do not have an account with the Mining Remediation Authority.

Your permit application must include specific supporting information depending on the type of work you’re proposing.

If your application covers multiple mine shafts under one permit, you must provide supporting data in individual packs for each shaft.

To help ensure you have included all the information we need, read the checklist for your type of work:

• Site investigation permits (ODT, 10.6 KB)
• Drilling boreholes for water abstraction (ODT, 8.27 KB)
• Site remediation including treatment of mine workings and entries (ODT, 11 KB)
• Site remediation using concrete capping and geotextiles (ODT, 11.9 KB)
• Site remediation using piling and foundations near mine workings (ODT, 12.3 KB) Start now

You can also apply using a paper form. Contact us for details.

Engineering appraisals

If your application includes designs that require engineering appraisal, you must ensure the information you supply fulfils the requirements of Mining Remediation Authority Technical Guidance Note TGN02/202.

Before your permit is granted

However you apply, you’ll need to:

• agree to the permit’s terms and conditions
• pay the appropriate fee, in full, before a permit can be processed and granted Do not schedule any works until the permit certificate has been issued.

Types of applications

There are 3 application types. The type you choose affects the cost and processing time.

Standard applications take 20 or more working days and are charged the normal rate.

Expedited applications take 10 working days and are charged at 2.5 times the normal rate. Subject to availability.

Express applications take 5 working days and are charged at 4 times the normal rate. Subject to availability and restricted to site investigation applications that do not relate to mine entries (shafts or adits). Further exemptions may apply.

How much it costs

Permit charges are based on:

• the number of boreholes
• the area of the application
• the number of mine entries to be investigated and/or treated You can pay by debit card, credit card or BACS. Charges are non-transferable and non-refundable. All charges include VAT.

Permit charges

Charge basis	Minimum	Maximum	Per unit
Area of application (any number of shafts, adits and unrecorded mining features included)	£167	£4,186 (for areas more than 2.5 hectares)	£167 per 0.1 hectare (1,000m2)
Number of boreholes (initial investigation only)	£167	£4,186	£84 per borehole
Number of mine entries to be investigated or treated (when not included in the area charge)	£167	£4,186	£167 per shaft or adit
Application including mine entry and treatment	Total fees for each shaft or adit	£4,186	-
Water resources consents for capital flood risk projects	£167	£4,186	Same as standard permit applications

Other fees

Fee type	Cost
Administration fee for minor changes and adding investigation for unrecorded mining features	£74
Permit extension	£167

These fee rates reflect our costs in line with the principles in Managing Public Money May 2023 document.

We are committed to keeping costs as low as possible and do not make any profit from fees.

5% discount

You could qualify for a 5 % discount on application fees if you meet all the following criteria:

• you have been compliant with previous permits, with no concerns raised by the Mining Remediation Authority or Health and Safety Executive
• you have no outstanding closure reports from previously issued permits
• you have not conducted any activity on our Permitting non-compliance policy
• you are using a contractor whose operations have been audited by an independent mining engineer within 15 months before the permit application You must provide proof of the independent mining engineer audit when claiming this discount.

Making changes to a current permit

If new information arises after a permit has been issued, you can apply to change or vary your permit. This prevents a breach of permit conditions.

Significant variations

A significant variation is any change that requires a technical assessment. These are charged at the cost of the additional new activity.

If your original application was made on an area basis, the variation will be charged at either:

• 60% of the standard application fee, or
• the cost of the additional new activity whichever is lower.

If you paid the maximum fee for your original application, you will only pay an administrative charge for the variation.

Minor variations

A minor variation is a change that does not require technical assessment. This includes administrative changes such as updating a company name where the management structure, systems and insurance remain the same.

Permit extensions

You can apply to extend the time period of your permit. This does not require a technical assessment.

Multiple activities on one application

If you apply for multiple activities on a single site, the fee is the total of all proposed activities.

If multiple phases of work are needed for a mine entry (for example, investigation followed by capping), you can include these on a single application. The permit will be issued on a conditional basis, depending on the information available. This allows you to start the initial phase and complete the engineering appraisal later.

The fee will be the total of the mine entry investigation and treatment activities.

Intervention measures and notices

If you submit closure reports or information retrospectively as part of enforcement action against unpermitted work or breach of permit conditions, you will be charged at 1.5 times the standard application rate.

If we issue a notice for unauthorised work, you must submit a closure report covering the work undertaken. We will send an acknowledgement letter and consider Health and Safety Executive advice before granting a permit.

Time and material charges

If we request the same information more than twice and spend additional time on your application, we will charge for time and materials at current Mining Remediation Authority rates. We will invoice these on a case-by-case basis.

Time and material charges also apply to permit project work.

Water resources and flood defence consents

Consents for capital flood defence infrastructure are charged at the same rate as standard permit applications.

Contact us

Contact the Mining Remediation Authority Permitting and Licensing team.

Licensing and Permissions team

Mining Remediation Authority
200 Lichfield Lane
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 4RG

Email LicensingAndPermissions@MiningRemediation.gov.uk

Telephone 01623 637 450

Monday to Thursday: 8:45am to 5:00pm
Friday: 8:45am to 4:30pm

Updates to this page

Published 12 August 2021 Last updated 1 April 2026 show all updates
1.
1 April 2026

Updated permit fees for April 2026 and new guidance checklists have been added to the page to explain the documents users are required to submit when applying for a permit.
2.
1 April 2025

Updated to include detailed costs for applying for a permit to deal with coal or coal mines.
3.
12 August 2021

First published.

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