Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991

8 Discretionary payments in lieu

(1) The Corporation may elect to make payments in respect of the cost of remedial works instead of executing such works themselves in any of the cases mentioned below in this section.

(2) In any case where the Corporation receive the necessary request for that purpose from the claimant or any other person interested, they may elect to make, in respect of the cost incurred by a person other than themselves in executing any of the remedial works, a payment equal to the aggregate amount of the costs specified in relation to those works in the schedule of remedial works.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) above, the necessary request is a request informing the Corporation that the person making the request wishes to execute the remedial works in question himself or to have them executed on his behalf by a person specified in the request.

(4) In any case where it is proposed—

(a) to merge the execution of other works in connection with the damaged property with the execution of remedial works; or

(b) to redevelop the damaged property instead of executing remedial works,

the Corporation may elect to make a payment equal to any sums from time to time shown to have been expended by any other person in executing the merged works or the redevelopment works, up to an aggregate amount not exceeding the aggregate amount of the costs specified in the schedule of works (“the total scheduled cost”).

(5) Where in the case of any property affected by subsidence damage—

(a) immediately before the subsidence damage became evident the property was in a state of disrepair;

(b) it is not practicable to execute remedial works without including in those works additional works which would not be necessary but for the disrepair (“the works attributable to the disrepair”); and

(c) the total scheduled cost is higher by at least 20 per cent. than it would have been if the costs of the works attributable to the disrepair had not been included,

the Corporation may elect to make in respect of the cost incurred by any other person in executing remedial works a payment equal to the amount by which the total scheduled cost exceeds the aggregate amount of the costs specified in the schedule of works in respect of the works attributable to the disrepair.

(6) In any case within subsection (5) above, the schedule of remedial works shall distinguish the works attributable to the disrepair from the works which would be necessary apart from the disrepair.

(7) The Corporation shall not unreasonably refuse—

(a) any request complying with subsection (3) above to make an election under subsection (2) above; or

(b) any request received from the claimant or any other person interested to make an election under subsection (4) above.

(8) Subject to subsection (9) below, the Corporation are to be regarded as acting unreasonably in refusing any request falling within subsection (7)(a) above which is received before they have begun to execute remedial works.

(9) Subsection (8) above does not apply where—

(a) the Corporation have acceded to another such request made by another person;

(b) the execution of remedial works by a person other than the Corporation would significantly impede the discharge of their remedial obligation in respect of one or more neighbouring properties; or

(c) where the damage has rendered the property structurally unsound, the execution of such works by the person by whom the request was made or, as the case may be, by the person specified in the request would be unlikely to restore the structural integrity of the property,

and (in any case) as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the request the Corporation give notice to that effect to the person by whom the request was made.

(10) The Corporation are not to be regarded as acting unreasonably in refusing any request falling within subsection (7) above which is received after they have begun to execute remedial works.

(11) An election under this section, and any revocation of such an election, shall be made by a notice given to the claimant and any other person interested.

(12) The Secretary of State may by order substitute for the percentage specified in subsection (5)(c) above (whether as originally enacted or as previously amended under this subsection) such other percentage as he thinks fit.