CO2 mine gas - site investigation and risk assessment: best practice

Annex A Online survey questions

Question 1. Which local authority do you work for?

Question 2. What is your role?

• Building Standards Officer
• Contaminated Land Officer
• Environmental Health Officer
• Planning Officer
• Other (please specify)

Question 3. Which department do you work for?

• Building Standards
• Environmental Health / Public Protection
• Planning
• Other (please specify)

Question 4. Please provide your full name

Question 5. What is your email address?

Question 6. Please provide a work phone number

Question 7. Are you able to participate in Microsoft Teams meetings?

• Yes
• No

Question 8. How do you identify if the proposed development is in an area with potential mine gas issues so as to 'screen' applications for review? - Please tick all that apply.

• Coal Authority interactive viewer
• Internal GIS layer
• Local knowledge
• Previous applications nearby
• Don't know
• None of the above
• Other (please specify)

Question 9. Do you consultant with the Coal Authority when the proposed development is in a Coal Authority Development High Risk Area

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never
• Don't know

Question 10. Which local authority service in your authority i.e. planning, environmental health or building standards has the overall lead on dealing with sites where CO₂ mine gas is assessed as likely to be present?

• · Building Standards
• · Environmental Health / Public Protection
• · Planning
• · All of the above
• · None
• · Don't know

Question 11. Does your local authority have an existing framework (formalised or informal) for regulating the risk of CO₂ mine gas on a development site?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Question 12. Does the planning department at your local authority include standard conditions on planning permission regarding land contamination assessment, remediation and verification that would encompass mine gas risks to development?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Question 13. Does the planning department at your local authority ever include specific conditions on planning permission regarding CO₂ mine gas investigation and mitigation?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Question 14. Does the building standards department at your local authority include standard conditions on building warrants regarding land contamination assessment, remediation and verification that would encompass mine gas risks to development?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Question 15. Does the building standards department at your local authority ever include specific conditions on building warrants in relation to CO₂ mine gas investigation and mitigation?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Question 16. Where conditions (planning or building warrant) have been included and remediation is identified as being required in relation to CO₂ mine gas issues, what verification do you require to demonstrate compliance with that condition? - Please tick all that apply

• Site visit with officer assessment
• Verification report prepared by a suitably qualified consultant or installer
• Don't know
• Other (please specify)

Question 17. Relationship between planning and building standards

On a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) - how would you characterise the degree of interaction between the planning and building standards teams in your local authority?

Please add any specific comments to support your answer, if you wish to do so.

Question 18. Staff capability for undertaking critical reviews of mine gas related reports

On a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) how would you characterise the capability within your department for undertaking critical review of mine gas risk assessment and mitigation design reports?

Please add any specific comments to support your answer, if you wish to do so.

Question 19. If the capability for undertaking critical review of mine gas risk assessment and mitigation design reports doesn't sit in your department, in your view which department does it sit in?

• Building Standards
• Environmental Health/Public Protection
• Planning
• Don't know
• None

Question 20. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) how would you characterise the capability within other departments within your local authority for undertaking critical review of mine gas risk assessment and mitigation design reports?

Please add any specific comments to support your answer, if you wish to do so.

Question 21. Use of external peer review support

Do you employ external peer review support, e.g. other local authority EHOs/ CLOs, external consultants, for critical reviews of mine gas related reports?

• Yes
• No
• Don't know

Question 22. If No, which of these apply? Please tick all that apply. If other please explain why

• Have sufficient capability in-house
• Financial constraints
• Mine gas issues rarely encountered
• Other (please explain why)

Question 23. If yes, how often do you use this type of support?

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

Question 24. How beneficial have you found this external peer review support on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent)?

Please add any specific comments to support your answer, if you wish to do so.

Question 25. What relevant publications and guidance are routinely used by your department when reviewing reports relating to mine gas? Please tick all that apply.

• Internal local authority guidance
• Environmental Protection Scotland Land Contamination and Development guidance (2019)
• BS 8485:2015+A1:2019 Code of practice for the design of protective measures for methane and carbon dioxide ground gases for new buildings
• BS 8576:2013 Guidance on investigations for ground gas. Permanent gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• CIRIA C665 Assessing risks posed by hazardous ground gases to buildings
• Don't know
• Other (please specify what other sources you use)

Question 26. What relevant publications and guidance that are routinely referred by your department to developers in relation to developments potential affected by mine gas? Please tick all that apply.

• Internal local authority guidance
• Environmental Protection Scotland Land Contamination and Development guidance (2019)
• BS 8485:2015+A1:2019 Code of practice for the design of protective measures for methane and carbon dioxide ground gases for new buildings
• BS 8576:2013 Guidance on investigations for ground gas. Permanent gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• CIRIA C665 Assessing risks posed by hazardous ground gases to buildings
• Don't know
• Other (please specify what)

Question 27. Do you have any examples of good practice with regards to the Planning and Building Standards approach to developments where there are potential risks associated with mine gas that you would be willing to share at a later date?

• Yes
• No

Question 28. Training needs

Do you feel that you need specific training on mine gas issues to regulate this issue effectively?

• Yes
• No
• Not applicable (if not applicable please explain why not)

If not applicable, please explain why.

Question 29. Would you like to provide any additional information?

Question 30. Would you consider taking part in more detailed consultation as part of this project?

• Yes
• No
• If No - please explain why not