We're being charged £1MILLION to fix 70ft wall that collapsed on our homes… even though it's NOT our fault
Experts say it was dangerous from day one
TALL ORDER We're being charged £1MILLION to fix 70ft wall that collapsed on our homes… even though it's NOT our fault
RESIDENTS on a quiet street are facing a shocking £1million repair bill – after a 70ft wall collapsed into their gardens through no fault of their own.
The huge retaining wall on Windmill Lane in Nottingham, crumbled without warning in February 2021, sending clouds of dust and tonnes of rubble crashing down behind six terraced homes.
Advertisement
9
Lynn and Terry Oakley of Spalding Road live opposite house affected, they helped neighbours when they were evacuated
Credit: BPM
9
A massive wall has collapsed between properties on Windmill Lane ans Palding Road in Sneinton
Credit: BPM
9
Google Street view of the properties on Spalding Road, Nottingham, showing the wall prior to its collapse
Credit: SWNS
Now, more than four years on, the damage remains – and homeowners say they're being forced to pay the price for a council-built structure that experts claim was 'not fit for purpose.'
'The wall was originally constructed in 2003, commissioned by Nottingham City Council to replace a crumbling Victorian structure,' Nottinghamshire Live reported.
Each household paid around £9,000 for the works at the time, and residents were relieved to see what they believed was a long-term solution.
But on the night of February 3, 2021, that sense of security collapsed – literally.
Advertisement
Finance manager Luke Drayton, 30, was at home when disaster struck. 'We both looked out the window and could see a cloud of dust.
You could see torches from other people who were all really scared just trying to see what had happened,' he recalled.
The street was evacuated, and residents weren't allowed back in until 8am the next morning.
Fortunately, no one was injured – but it could have been much worse.
Advertisement
'To this day, if you go to the edge of the garden, that is an unwise and unsafe thing to do,' Mr Drayton told NottinghamshireLive.
'It very easily could have cost someone their life. The council is very fortunate that was not the case.'
I'm fuming after nosy neighbours left note on my car asking my 'plans for parking', despite having a four-car driveway
Since the collapse, gardens behind numbers 147 to 157 have remained unusable and dangerous.
Residents have been quoted between £600,000 and £1million to fix the wall, in a neighbourhood where house prices range between £140,000 and £220,000.
Advertisement
'We all lost half of our gardens,' said Mr Drayton.
'The £1million cost is a no-go for everybody. There's been lots of tears and emotional distress.'
9
A 70 foot wall has fallen into the gardens of properties in Nottingham after heavy rainfall
Credit: SWNS
9
Residents had no say in the contractor or the project's management, yet they were left footing the bill both then – and now
Advertisement
He described how one neighbour put her home up for auction for just £25,000, adding: 'She was so done with it, she was ready to take the loss and move on with her life.'
Another woman, who has since sold her home at a heavy loss, said she had paid nearly £10,000 for the wall's construction in 2003.
She later had to undergo talking therapy to cope with the stress.
'After four years of us all trying to resolve the problem, I decided to sell my property at auction – a financial risk, but one I was prepared to accept,' she said.
Advertisement
'The impact on us all has been quite profound.'
According to documents, the wall was designed, built and supervised under Section 78 of the Building Act 1984, with Nottingham City Council in charge of the project.
It was carried out by a company called Central High Rise Ltd.
Residents had no say in the contractor or the project's management, yet they were left footing the bill both then – and now.
Advertisement
Mr Drayton said: 'This was a council-controlled, council-commissioned project.'
But legal time limits have now expired.
According to an email from Sedgwick International UK to Mr Drayton, dated August 23, 2023: 'Your claim would, in any event, seem to be Statute barred, due to the expiry of the Limitation period.'
Nottingham City Council confirmed to residents it would take no further action, stating in April this year that the matter is considered private and falls to the homeowners.
Advertisement
'The Council no longer intervenes in boundary wall, fence, or other structural issues that are private matters between land/property owners,' it said.
9
Five families were evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night after reports of a 'landslide' in Nottingham
Credit: SWNS
9
Residents hired two independent engineering firms to assess the site
Credit: SWNS
Residents hired two independent engineering firms to assess the site.
Advertisement
Reports from May 2021 and October 2022 concluded the replacement wall was poorly built and unsafe from the start.
One report stated: 'The replacement retaining wall was not fit for purpose and was a hazardous and dangerous structure from the day it was completed.'
It also said the wall had not been suitably designed by a qualified structural engineer, and blamed both design and construction faults for its failure.
Just 48 hours before the collapse, one homeowner reported a visible crack in the soil to the council after a gardener raised the alarm.
Advertisement
But they say they were told it was a private matter and not the council's concern.
After the collapse, they were told they should have reported it. 'But we did,' said one resident.
'I feel like we were failed from the beginning.'
According to residents, most insurance companies have refused to cover the repair costs, although around £60,000 was contributed to help clear debris.
Advertisement
Residents have also turned to Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, who has raised the matter with the council 'on a number of occasions.'
But no breakthrough has been made.
'I have tried, along with my neighbours, so hard for all this time to resolve the problem,' one woman said.
'It's been an emotional rollercoaster. It's not just bricks and rubble – it's our peace of mind.'
Advertisement
The Sun has approached Nottingham City Council for comment.
9
Just 48 hours before the collapse, one homeowner reported a visible crack in the soil to the council after a gardener raised the alarm
Credit: SWNS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
14 hours ago
- Wales Online
Tiny hut on Penarth pier was home for four decades, now they're being evicted
Tiny hut on Penarth pier was home for four decades, now they're being evicted The modest hut on the town's most famous attraction is HQ for one of the town's oldest institutions The hut has been their home for more than 40 years (Image: Richard Swingler ) Like the pier on which they call their home, Penarth Sea Angling Club is a long-standing pillar of the town's seaside heritage, founded 92 years ago. For almost half of that time, their HQ has been the modest hut found at the end of the Victorian pier. Now after nearly half a century, the institution has been served a shock eviction notice and the tiny structure faces being handed over for commercial use - a controversial move by the Vale of Glamorgan Council that's left many in the community angry. The club, founded in 1933, has used the hut on Penarth Pier as its headquarters for the past 41 years. It serves as a base for organising competitions, handling membership admin, storing essential fishing equipment and even offering advice to curious tourists. Speaking to WalesOnline, the club's secretary Robert Galley, offered a glimpse into just a fraction of the hut's rich history - and his own lifelong connection to it. "I joined the Sea Angling Club when I was ten years old in 1957," he shared. "My father was Pier Master and I was actually born in the Pier Master's Lodge, which was just across the road from the pier. "He used to take me down to the pier and I'd watch people fishing. One day, someone handed me a rod - and that was it. I joined the club, and I've been secretary now for the last 40 years." Article continues below The club's history is deeply intertwined with Penarth's own, surviving the Second World War and even the partial destruction of the pier in 1947 when a ship struck it. "We have the original minute book going all the way back to our founding in 1933," Robert explained. "On October 20 this year, we'll be 92 years. Over that time, most people in town have either been members or have known someone who was." The club holds weekly competitions, depending on tides and seasons; many of which raise money for charity. In recent years, members have raised thousands for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) - nearly £5,000 since lockdown alone - with their next fundraising competition scheduled for July 20. They also boast a proud record in sport, with several members having held Welsh national records, as well as former and current members who are representing Wales internationally - including men, ladies and juniors. "We've always had a diverse membership. There are around 95 of us," Robert added. "We cover pretty much all of South Wales - we've been told that we're the biggest sea angling club in Wales." Beyond fishing, the club has also become a point of contact for visitors. "We're often asked by tourists about the local islands or how to get to Barry Island. In a way, we've become a bit of an information centre," said Robert. With this in acknowledgment, it is clear that the hut isn't just a storage place - it's the club's nerve centre. "It houses the desk we use to sign people in for competitions, sign up our new members, take payments and raffle tickets - as well as keep our equipment like drop nets and baskets," Robert explained. "It's also where we get out of the wind - last winter we had eight storms, and having a place to warm up is vital." The eviction has been a looming concern for some time. "The council had looked at taking the hut back a year or two ago," Robert said. "But we showed them our licence from 1984, signed by then-Mayor, Mrs Ruby Parsons. It says that either side must give 28 days' notice - and now, they've done just that." The official eviction notice was dated May 19, and would have seen the club out by June 19. However, after discussions with the council, Robert said that they've now agreed to continue on a month-by-month basis, at least for the time being. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here "I don't know if anyone is actively interested in taking over the space - it just seems like they see an opportunity with it," he said. "There are already three coffee shops on the pier, one owned by the council - do we really need another one?" Despite the uncertainty, the club remain hopeful that they can stay, at least through its upcoming RNLI competition. "It would be beneficial to everyone if we could keep the hut, especially for that event," says Robert. "We've always had a good relationship with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, and even before them with the old Penarth Urban District Council. One of our former mayors, John Flanagan was a club member. We hope to be here to stay." Rob Thomas, Vale of Glamorgan Council Chief Executive, said: "The small hut at the seaward end of the pier could potentially be used for commercial purposes, adding to the visitor attraction of the pier. Article continues below "Advertising it as an opportunity for a concession will allow us to find out if there is an interest from potential operators. "We are, alongside this process, in discussion with the Sea Angling Club and colleagues will continue to engage with them about potential alternative provision. It is only right that we review all sites such as this to ensure they are used effectively, especially when there is an opportunity to enhance the visitor experience."
Press and Journal
21 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Scotland's Home of the Year: Our writers pick their 6 favourites from over the years, from Banchory to Skye
We've been glued to the screens on Monday nights for the past 7 weeks. Hilltop House in Aberdeenshire came out on top in the official Scotland's Home Of The Year (Shoty) final this year. But what are some of the best homes to have featured on the show of the years? Two of our writers, and top Shoty superfans, Kirstie Waterston and Sarah Bruce have gone through to pick their top three properties from the programme's history. Let's start off with Kirstie's top picks… Kirstie is a lover of all things vintage, a rabid Shoty afficionado, and runs the home renovation account on Instagram @ For me, successful entries on Scotland's Home of the Year are the memorable ones – not necessarily the series winners. Shoty enables us to pass judgement from the comfort of our own (probably less polished) living rooms. There's something endlessly fascinating about crossing the threshold of other people's homes, and you really appreciate the vulnerability of any homeowner who invites the nation inside. As someone slowly renovating a Victorian cottage, I'm always drawn to historic properties. While I can't resist an elegant Georgian mansion or Victorian villa, I find the cosy cottages and rural boltholes endearing and relatable. Naturally I root for the properties that represent the north and north-east, but there are some that always stick in my mind…. It goes without saying charming Quiney Cottage appealed to me – and clearly the judges too as it scored full marks on series six. Quiney Cottage is so typical of rural Aberdeenshire housing stock, but with the wee gate and path leading to a sage green door, it could be straight out of a Beatrix Potter illustration. Inside, the cottage is unapologetically cosy; a symphony of colour, pattern and curios are carefully curated by Rachel Dougherty to create a welcoming home. Traditional panelling makes an understated backdrop to showcase bold prints, wallpapers and thrifted finds, but elsewhere woodwork is painted in unexpected arsenic green and sky blue. Quiney Cottage is simply a treasure chest for interior magpies. Your eyes dance from delightful details like handcrafted textiles to mismatched charity shop frames, chipped furniture to vintage finds, yet it's not cluttered. It speaks volumes of Rachel's fun eye for design that the cottage exudes the warmth and soul of a home lived in for decades – not one that was renovated, herself, little over three years ago. Hot on the heels of Quiney Cottage in series six was Casa Barra, a self-build bursting with personality. If you could build a house anywhere in Aberdeenshire, you would want unspoilt views of Bennachie – and that's exactly what Craig and Maria Michie did. The barn-style house was built on land farmed by generations of Craig's family, but Casa Barra throws out the rulebook of what a farmhouse should look like. Here, the beauty and rural idyll of Aberdeenshire's landscape courts the colour and exoticism of Latin America. Instead of being dictated by tradition, self-building meant the Michies shaped a home around their family and lifestyle. The house is steeped in natural light and picture windows make the most of the views to the west. Stepping inside the bright yellow door, Maria's Columbian heritage and flair for interiors is woven throughout the home. Designed on open plan, the downstairs is a social space elegantly zoned with furniture, artwork and colour to create cosy corners. New builds can feel stark, but Casa Barra is a lesson in styling with playful prints and tactile textiles. Upstairs, there's a snug for hunkering down on winter nights by the fire. But in summer it opens onto a balcony overlooking Bennachie, realising Maria's dream to bring a piece of South American culture to her Aberdeenshire home. Harking back to series two, a once-derelict cottage in Stromness stole the show with its nautical nooks and old-world nicknacks. Ships' lamps at either side of the front door guide visitors to the tiny cottage, which is a welcoming refuge from the elements. Coming from a fourth-generation fishing family, trawlerman Liam Temple resurrected the old property, but ensured his heritage was embedded in the cottage by incorporating materials like driftwood. Along with partner Caro Stockan, he took the property back to stone, and the pair were able to start again, tailoring the layout to maximise the downstairs area. Mirroring life at sea where space on a boat is at a premium, Liam utilised any opportunity to create storage at the Wheelhouse where a bunk bed even doubles up as a wardrobe. But beyond the clever joinery, it's the loving little touches that made the Wheelhouse a home. Proud Orcadians, the pair dressed their home with local artwork and vintage finds to create a homely feel. Twinkling fairylights and the glow of old lanterns transport you back to a bygone era, with judge Anna Campbell-Jones describing it as a 'wonderland'. Although not the 2020 winner, the small but mighty cottage was a very worthy finalist. Sarah is our Schools and Families writer, and is based in Inverness. I love watching Scotland's Home of the Year – it's a killer combination of interior design inspiration, Banjo's often-hilarious comments and the important opportunity to judge other people's homes. I would never consider opening my front door to Banjo and his pals, but thankfully there are people out there who are less camera-shy. Over the years, I have lived in Aberdeen flats, Edinburgh tenements and a new build in leafy Milngavie. These days, I'm a Victorian family home with the obligatory high ceilings and cracks in the walls that you learn to ignore, so similar properties tend to speak to my soul. But sometimes, the opposite is true, and a brand spanking new house can be a novelty that I find myself rooting for. As a chippy Highlander, it needs to be north for the win in my mind. So here are my favourites from 'P&J land' in the current and past series of Shoty… Sometimes, the Shoty winner just gives you a warm feeling – and this humble croft from 2022 did just that. New Tolsta was owned by artist Tom Hickman, who had bought it in 2006 and painstakingly restored it. Before him, the 1930s croft had been uninhabited for 37 years. Tom took 15 years to renovate it, so it was no rushed job. By the time he had finished, it was part traditional croft and part art gallery – but it was also 100% a home. At the time of his win, Tom was very much of the philosophy that less is more. He said: 'To me, the art of restoring it is to make it so that it doesn't look as if anything has been done to it – don't lose the charm.' But he is also an artist – and as a result, Bakelite switches remained, but floorboards were painted. A four poster bed was a resounding yes, and art was everywhere. No wonder they handed Tom the title. This one is in because I loved the staircase and I can go and look at it from the outside any time I want because it's pretty much round the corner from me. I know, these are very narrow criteria. A long time ago in 2021, Gaelle and Simon Patton showed us the Colonel's House in Inverness. The couple were from the Loire Valley and Lancashire respectively and first moved to Scotland in 2002. This Victorian end-of-terrace had everything – traditional exterior, an interior injected with a touch of the exotic and a great history. It had originally been occupied by, you guessed it, the Colonel of the city's Cameron Barracks. But it had been turned into an eight-bedroom B&B and been stripped of many of its period features, so there was work to be done. Then end result was an eclectic and strong decor full of surprises. The Colonel's House went up for sale last month and is currently under offer. Skye has always punched above its weight on Shoty. This year alone, two of the three north finalists were from the Misty Isle. An Cala was lovely and a worthy episode winner, but I suspect Lena Vurma and Thor Klein's tin-clad cabin might be remembered too. The film-making couple, from Switzerland and Germany respectively, bought half a croft and took it from there. They harnessed the local community to help with their tiny build, and really took advantage of the surroundings. Lena said at the time: 'You look out of the window and see the horizon – we can even see the northern lights from our cabin. 'I just really love how the windows frame the landscape outside – even from the bed. One side we see the sunrise over the Cuillins, then the other side we have perfectly framed the sunset over Loch Harport.' The tiny footprint means whoever lives there really needs to get on with each other. But the views are to die for and the design is genius. Read more from Shoty:
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Satellite images capture Mount Etna's eruption from space
Hiyah Zaidi Published June 4, 2025 2:55pm Link is copied Comments Tourists were seen running for their lives after Mount Etna erupted on Monday. The Sicilian volcano is Europe's largest and most active stratovolcano, and has recently spewed a giant plume of gas that stretched four miles into the sky. But, just as the volcano erupted, the Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite was passing by and managed to capture the whole thing in dramatic images (Picture: EU/Copernicus Sentinel-2 / SWNS) On June 2, at around 12pm local time, the volcano erupted following volcanic tremors which began around midnight. The eruption sent a pyroclastic flow - which is a mix of hot rock, ash and gas - down the side of the mountain. The cloud it produced, which was mainly made up of water and sulphur dioxide, headed south west and was so big it plunged the nearby town of Catania into darkness (Picture: European Space Agency) One concern of the eruption was the disruption of air traffic. Dr Stuart Black, geological expert at the University of Reading, said: 'Commercial aircraft typically fly at similar altitudes as where the volcanic material is reaching, so persistent activity could force flight rerouting in the region.' However, the eruption has led to no reported injuries or damage, and barely disrupted flights on or off the island (Picture: European Space Agency) The eruption began with an increase of pressure in the hot gases inside the volcano, according to The Conversation. This led to the partial collapse of part of one of the craters atop Etna on the south eastern edge of the volcano, which led to the pyroclastic flow. However, the lava flowed in three directions, and began to cool down. Pyroclastic flows can be extremely dangerous and can travel at an average of 60 miles per hour, reaching temperatures up to 1,000°C (Picture: European Space Agency) However, the flows did not make it beyond the Valle del Leone (or Lion Valley) which forms a natural containment area. But the volcano has been active recently, with the latest eruption marking the 14th episode since mid-March. The most recent pyroclastic flows with significant reach were recorded on February 10, 2022, October 23, 2021, December 13, 2020 and February 11, 2014, Marco Viccaro, president of Italy's national volcanology association, said on Tuesday (Picture: European Space Agency) Mount Etna reaches around 3,350 meters (11,050 feet) above sea level and is 35 kilometers (22 miles) in diameter. It is the highest Mediterranean island mountain and the most active stratovolcano in the world. It has documented eruptions dating back to 1500 BCE. The largest recorded historical eruption of the volcano occurred in 1669, when a number of big eruptions took place for around four months. It's thought that around fourteen villages and towns were destroyed by the lava flows or by earthquakes, and around 20,000 people were killed by the eruptions (Picture: AP) At the moment, researchers cannot give accurate details on when a volcano is about to blow. However, there are some warning signs, such as earthquakes when the magma pushes its way up to the surface. The magma also makes the ground near a volcano bulge upwards very slightly, by a few millimetres or centimetres, which can be monitored using satellites. However, new research suggests that trees may act as a good early warning detection system, as the magma beneath the surface releases a lot of carbon dioxide, which makes the trees more green – and this can be monitored through satellites (Picture: Getty)
