Groundsure have been awarded the Legal Eye standard for the second year running. Legal Eye provides best practice, risk management and compliance services to the legal market. They work with Solicitors, Licensed Conveyancers and providers

Within the green belt, a number of residents are voicing their concerns over solar farms. A recent application to construct a 24 acre solar installation in Burstow, Surrey, has been reported to have caused controversy

In April 2015, a Surrey farmer lost his long-running battle with the planning authorities to protect a mock-Tudor castle which he had constructed behind huge bales of hay. Robert Fidler had built the four bedroom

UK could be facing a much bigger problem in dealing with unacknowledged contaminated land Former industrial land across England and Wales could be twice as much as official figures suggest, research from Groundsure reveals. Groundsure

Homeowners living in top five performing areas since 2013 set to pocket more than £100,000 on the value of their property The Crossrail project continues to boost local house prices, with the value of properties

Groundsure has created an infographic detailing key flood risk to potential property purchasers. The data used was collated from the most accurate and reliable sources (e.g JBA and Environment Agency) and covers England and Wales.

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a hardy, bamboo-like perennial plant that, although quite attractive on first glance, is highly aggressive and destructive. It was originally introduced by botanists as an ornamental garden plant in the

Background to asbestos and its impact Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made up of many small fibres. There are three main types of asbestos – white asbestos (chrysotile), brown asbestos (amosite) and blue asbestos

The legacy of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in the UK has caused many problems for the construction industry over the last few years. Recently we have seen disruption to projects in Central London and Eastbourne, East

The Law Society issued a revised version of the Practice Note on Flood Risk on 18th December 2014 as a best practice guide for solicitors and conveyancers. The Environment Agency estimate that 5.2 million properties

The site in Langport, Somerset was occupied by the Langport Coal Gas Company from the 19th century until the site ceased operations in 1954. The site was redeveloped for residential housing in the 1980s. An

Green belt “an area of open land around a city, on which building is restricted”1 in the broadest of terms. The concept of Green Belt was initially suggested in the 19th century, with the first

At Groundsure we are continually improving products and services for our clients. As part of our latest release we have made some fantastic changes to our Homebuyers and Homescreen reports that we wanted to share

In the current economic climate is it possible to cut back on local authority spending whilst still improving wildlife? Conservation does not need to equate to extra funding. In fact conservation can actually save money

It was announced in December 2013 that the DEFRA funded Contaminated Land Capital Grants Scheme would be closed from 1 April 2014. This scheme provided Local Authorities with a means to receive government funding for

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is one of the most invasive plant species in Britain. It is a hardy, bamboo-like perennial plant that, although quite attractive on first glance, is highly aggressive and destructive. It has

"Maps are a very basic fundamental knowledge tool, woven into our urban environment, and silently improving our lives in all sorts of ways". Harry Wood, a member of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team board. We all

According to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)1 UK households generate 21.5 million tonnes of waste every year. That’s the equivalent weight of 3 million double decker buses — a queue

Earlier this year the government announced plans to build Ebbsfleet garden city in Kent. The proposal includes 15,000 homes and the consultation period for the proposal ended on 6th October. So far Redrow Homes has

Last weekend (Sunday 5th October 2014) residents of Portsmouth awoke to see a huge plume of smoke billowing across the city, reaching an altitude of 100 ft. The source of the fumes was quickly identified

A school in Totnes, South Devon was forced to close after contamination was discovered during a large renovation project undertaken over the summer holidays. Contaminated soil and perched groundwater was found during the excavation works

Polluted water has many negative effects on the environment, including on humans, plants and animals. The water cycle affects numerous critical systems — from the human need for clean water to the wellbeing of ecosystems,

We have all at one time or other wondered whether public transport is actually the fastest way to travel. This was put to the test in a recent and popular viral video created by runner

On 21st March 1985 the International Rugby Board held their annual meeting at the French Railways HQ in Paris. Each member had a single vote and the motion was carried 6 to 2. The first

If you ask those who work with historical maps in the GroundSure office what their favourite Ordnance Survey (OS) map is to look at, the most popular would probably be the 1:500 Town Plans. These

When moving into a multi-million pound home in London what would your first thought be? Who are my neighbours? How secure is my house? How many bedrooms does it have? You probably wouldn’t even consider

Over the last few decades China has become the world’s number one economic superpower but has this rapid growth left a dirty secret for the future of China to deal with? In March 2014 China

We recently stumbled upon an intriguing set of maps whilst researching for a report. The map, from 1950, shows the now abandoned Kursaal Amusement Park in intricate detail. Opened in Southend in 1901, the amusement

Conveyancing Data Services are pleased to announce a new comprehensive report ‘Groundsure Underground’ featuring information on the location and approximate depth of London Undergrounds lines, and the location and status of the CrossRail project for

Europe’s largest infrastructure project has been ongoing for the last few years, with another 4 years before it is operational. Crossrail, the “new London Underground” will stretch from Reading and Heathrow in the West, across

Have the recent storms kept you up at night; rattling the window frames asyourpets courageously yelp and bravely destroy the wallpaper of your home amidst the billion-volt cackling waves of energy, tumbling furiously from the

Reported widely, and no doubt waking, then affecting many — the media sphere went wild on Monday with reports of lightning strikes and flash flooding across South East, England. Indeed, the south coast has seen