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The Importance of Using a Chartered Mineral Surveyor

Minerals & Waste Management

Paul Malam

BSc(Hons) MRICS FIQ

Chartered Mineral Surveyor

In the field of property advice, it is generally understood what a Chartered Surveyor is. But is a Chartered Mineral Surveyor the same thing? Here we provide some explanation!

The term ‘Chartered Surveyor’ is a designation used by those who have gained professional membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and stands as a mark of quality and professionalism worldwide. Membership of the RICS is no mere box ticking exercise and requires a certain level of qualification and ‘on the job’ training followed by professional assessment to carry the Chartered Surveyor Designation. Further still it requires its members to continue to keep up to speed with their profession through their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

In the world of Minerals and Waste Management, ‘Minerals Surveyors’ actually represent one of the oldest types of surveyors in the UK and also one of the most specialist. Members of the RICS who have trained and qualified in the Minerals sector are granted the additional benefit of being able to call themselves Chartered Mineral Surveyors. They are still ‘Chartered Surveyors’ of course but the extra word ‘Mineral’ shows that their training and assessment pathway has been in the minerals field in particular.

In a sense, this can be something of a misnomer as most Chartered Mineral Surveyors also act widely in the Waste Management sector – a tradition that goes back to nothing more simple than the fact that in many cases, old quarries were often landfilled with waste to restore them!

Should this matter to you? If you are seeking professional property advice in the minerals and waste sectors we would say, undoubtedly yes. This is said with no disrespect to other Surveyors but the mere designation of ‘Chartered Surveyor’ could mean that the professional offering advice has trained and holds experience in nothing other than shops and offices – having never seen a minerals property in their careers! That extra designation held by Chartered Mineral Surveyors shows the client that the experience has been gained in the appropriate areas to suit this specialist property type. Other designations exist within the RICS for other specialist property areas, such as Chartered Land Surveyors, Chartered Quantity Suveyors and Chartered Building Surveyors, but it is the Minerals ‘tag’ that should be considered when appointing an advisor on Minerals and Waste Property issues.

Matthews & Son LLP have a long history working in the Minerals and Waste Management sectors and for many years have employed such Chartered Mineral Surveyors within the broader team. Today, as historically, our Mineral Surveyors have specifically trained in this area and spent their careers specialising in these unusual property types. If you are considering property advice in the minerals or waste management sector, it would be highly prudent to ensure your Chartered Surveyor is indeed a specialist!

Paul Malam

BSc(Hons) MRICS FIQ

Chartered Mineral Surveyor