When John and Jean Coulthard bought their bungalow, they dreamed of spending their retirement years relaxing in the tranquillity of Devon.

Ten years later, they have had to swap their £150,000 home for a room in a bed and breakfast after a 700ft mineshaft was discovered under their property in Horrabridge, near Tavistock.

Fearful that the bungalow could collapse, geologists told the couple to leave immediately while they and a team of structural engineers conducted further tests. Tests show that the shaft of an old copper mine is directly beneath their living room, hallway and bedroom.

In order to rectify the situation, the house will have to be demolished, the shaft would have to be capped and the house re-built. All of which will cost more than £200,000.

If their professional adviser had ordered a Homecheck Professional Residential Report, they would have seen that it highlighted the need for further consultation.As part of the 25 page report, details of all historic land use would have identified the disused copper mine located on the site of the property (as can be seen in the extracts below). Furthermore, a map would have been provided showing all past industrial land use within a 250m radius of the bungalow (see overleaf).

Finally, each Homecheck Professional Report comes with a unique Environmental Analysis from RPS, Europeʼs leading environmental consultancy. In this case RPS would have referred the report to their consultants, and would have advised further investigation prior to proceeding with any purchase.

Case StudyCopperfields, Horrabridge, Yelverton

homecheck professionalimperial house21-25 north streetbromley br1 1ss

tel 0870 606 1700fax 0870 606 1701email info@homecheckpro.co.ukweb www.homecheckpro.co.uk

Air Pollution Control (APC) • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty • BGS Recorded Landfill Sites • BGS Recorded Mineral Sites • BGS Solid Geology • Coal Mining Areas • COMAH • Discharge Consents • Enforcement & Prohibition Notices • Environmentally Sensitive Areas • Flood Risk and Indicative Floodplain Maps • Fuel Database • Groundwater Vulnerability • Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) • Local Nature Reserves • National Nature Reserves • National Parks • National Scenic Areas • Natural Subsidence Hazard • NIHHS • Nitrate Sensitive Areas • Nitrate Vulnerable Zones • Planning Hazardous Substance Consents • Pollution Incidents Relating to Controlled Waters • Potential Contaminative Land Use • Prosecutions Relating to Authorised Processes • Prosecutions Relating to Controlled Waters • Radon Affected Areas • Radon - Level of Protective Measures • RAMSAR Sites • Red List Discharge Consents • Registered Landfill Sites • Registered Radioactive Substances • Registered Waste Transfer, Treatment or Disposal Sites • River Flood Risk • River Network • River Quality • Shallow Mining • Sites of Special Scientific Interest • Special Areas of Conservation • Special Protection Areas • Current Industrial Land Use • Water Abstractions

Daily Telegraph 5 June 2002

Case StudyCopperfields, Horrabridge, Yelverton

The map below is an extract from the Homecheck Professional Residential Property Report on the above property and clearly shows the presence of an old mineshaft (1) adjacent to the property, as well as several other risks within a radius of 250m of the bungalow.

Protect both yourself and your clients. Order a Homecheck Professional Residential Report for only £25 (plus VAT) direct from our website www.homecheckpro.co.uk or from one of over 100 authorised resellers. For details of the one nearest you, call our Help Desk on 0870 606 1700.

homecheck professionalimperial house21-25 north streetbromley br1 1ss

tel 0870 606 1700fax 0870 606 1701email info@homecheckpro.co.ukweb www.homecheckpro.co.uk

Air Pollution Control (APC) • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty • BGS Recorded Landfill Sites • BGS Recorded Mineral Sites • BGS Solid Geology • Coal Mining Areas • COMAH • Discharge Consents • Enforcement & Prohibition Notices • Environmentally Sensitive Areas • Flood Risk and Indicative Floodplain Maps • Fuel Database • Groundwater Vulnerability • Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) • Local Nature Reserves • National Nature Reserves • National Parks • National Scenic Areas • Natural Subsidence Hazard • NIHHS • Nitrate Sensitive Areas • Nitrate Vulnerable Zones • Planning Hazardous Substance Consents • Pollution Incidents Relating to Controlled Waters • Potential Contaminative Land Use • Prosecutions Relating to Authorised Processes • Prosecutions Relating to Controlled Waters • Radon Affected Areas • Radon - Level of Protective Measures • RAMSAR Sites • Red List Discharge Consents • Registered Landfill Sites • Registered Radioactive Substances • Registered Waste Transfer, Treatment or Disposal Sites • River Flood Risk • River Network • River Quality • Shallow Mining • Sites of Special Scientific Interest • Special Areas of Conservation • Special Protection Areas • Current Industrial Land Use • Water Abstractions