Formation 1994 Region served UK | Purpose Coal mining in the UK Membership 160 staff | |
 | ||
Legal status Non-departmental public body (NDPB) Location 200 Lichfield Lane, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 4RG | ||
The Coal Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government.
Contents
History
It was established under the Coal Industry Act 1994 to manage some functions which the British Coal Corporation (formerly the National Coal Board) had previously undertaken, including ownership of unworked coal.
It is situated in the south of Mansfield, in Berry Hill. It was funded by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and now the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy funds it.
Function
It is responsible for licensing coal mining operations and for providing information on coal reserves and past and future coal mining. It settles subsidence claims not falling on coal mining operators. It deals with the management and disposal of property, and with surface hazards such as abandoned coal mine shafts. It operates a 24-hour call-out service for surface hazards.