Welcome to South Yorkshire Mining Advisory Service

South Yorkshire Mining Advisory Service (SYMAS) started as part of the former South Yorkshire County Council over 30 years ago and comprises a small dedicated group of Mining Engineers/Minerals Surveyors who have accumulated a specialist working knowledge of the mining and minerals industry in South Yorkshire.

Together with technical staff we provide an information service to local councils and produce a variety of reports covering the full range of mining issues affecting South Yorkshire.

We are based within the Planning and Transportation Service at Barnsley MBC. Liaising with Building Control and Development Control we provide mining advice to ensure the safe development, occupation and maintenance of land, buildings, highways and services from a ground stability and mining environment aspect.

The range of services include:-
• Comprehensive Records
• Coal workings throughout South Yorkshire
• Abandoned mines records
• Opencast mining completion plans
• Past Editions of Ordnance Survey Sheets

Mineral Reports

• Notice of approach of mineworkings
• Building Regulations comments under Reg.A2b (2000 Building Regulations)
• Planning enquiries - reclamation sites
• Regeneration - Local Development Framework
• Highways and Engineering - CDM Regulations
• Estates and Properties - marketing of land

Consultancy

• Highways Agency - Motorways and Structures
• Yorkshire Water - Sewers and Water Mains
• Private Consultancy - particularly those business involved in the regeneration of the area
(All work is undertaken on a fee-paying basis. Our services incur a cost of £55 per hour. Mineral reports typically take 5 to 10 hours to complete.(Costs as at April 2008))

Mining Subsidence

• Prediction of subsidence and horizontal ground strains
• Submission of Damage Notices under the 1991 Subsidence Act
• Negotiation of repairs on behalf of Councils and Statutory Undertakers

Feasibility Studies

• Check calculations for areas of mineral deposits etc in Quarrying, Opencast and Waste Disposal activities.
• Estimates of coal reserves or support pillars for underground mining

Spoil Tip Inspections

• Carrying out the Local Authority duties under the 1969 Mines and Quarries Act in respect of public safety requirements

Legacy of Mining Issues

• Compiling a record of rising mine water/mine gas events for the closed part of the Yorkshire Coalfield
• Information for redevelopment of colliery sites - locations of former operational mineshafts and ancillary pithead infrastructure plus likely areas of contamination

Surface Hazards Procedures

• Dealing with surface collapses into mineshafts or old workings
• Site inspection to identify nature of hazard
• Report to Coal Authority who implement emergency safety works
• Act as agents on behalf of landowner to ensure appropriate treatment

For more information please contact:-
Principal Mining Engineer
Tel: (01226) 772689
Email: symas@barnsley.gov.uk

Related Links:
• Coal Authority