Latest news with #NottinghamCityCouncil
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Sneinton: 'We could have to pay £1m to fix a collapsed wall'
Residents in a Nottingham suburb say they are facing a bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair a retaining Drayton, who lives on Windmill Lane in Sneinton, said the 70ft (21.34m) structure collapsed on 3 February 30-year-old said residents have been unable to get costs for repairs covered by insurers, and called on Nottingham City Council - who rebuilt the wall in 2003 - to "take responsibility".The council said it will not comment "as the wall is privately owned and therefore the council is not responsible for its upkeep or repair". Mr Drayton, who has lived in his house since 2016, said the wall was rebuilt by the council in 2003, but said two structural engineers hired by neighbours found the structure "was never fit for purpose in the first place".After the "massive panic" caused by the collapse, he said residents were left with a £60,000 bill to clear up 200 tonnes of debris, and described the current difficulties in finding a permanent fix as a "tricky situation"."The design flaw was in the wall that had been signed off by Nottingham City Council, and paid by Nottingham City Council, which was subsequently then charged back to us," he said."It's been a four-year process where people have really been struggling, emotionally and financially." Without the wall, Mr Drayton said the site is "totally unsafe", with residents unable to use their gardens without risking more said they are struggling to find a way to pay for the necessary work."We've been in contact with lots of builders, structural engineers and whatnot, trying to understand what the cost of the rebuild would be, and that cost is somewhere between £600,000 and £1m, and that's between six houses," he said."To put that in perspective, I bought the house - my first home - for less than the value of what it would cost to rebuild that wall, so it puts us in a really difficult situation."How we see it is that it's the council that has put us in that situation, because they didn't rebuild the wall properly in the first place, and we've got proof of that."With one neighbour putting up their house for auction and others having had therapy to deal with the stress, Mr Drayton said they face an uncertain future."Financially we can't really do a lot about it," he said."None of us can move from it until it's done."
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
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
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
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. 9 9 9 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. 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. '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. '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 9 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. '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. 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. 'The Council no longer intervenes in boundary wall, fence, or other structural issues that are private matters between land/ property owners,' it said. 9 9 Residents hired two independent engineering firms to assess the site. 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. 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. 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.' The Sun has approached Nottingham City Council for comment. 9 9
BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Specialist college approved by city council
Plans for a new specialist college in Nottingham for people with learning difficulties have been college, on the corner of Mansfield Road and Church Drive in Carrington, will offer courses on English, maths and life skills for young adults aged from 18 to 24.A planning application for Landmarks Specialist College was approved by Nottingham City Council on site was previously used as a health clinic by Harley Medical Group, featuring treatment rooms and a reception area. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a maximum of 40 students would be enrolled, with each attending two or three days a to planning documents, the college would be open between 08:30 and 17:00 for staff, with students arriving from 09:00 and staying until 15: state it will have nine parking spaces and one disabled space within a secure gated site.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Centre revamp to create more SEND school places in Nottingham
A centre for young people in Nottingham is set to be refurbished as part of a plan to create more school places for special needs City Council has approved a £675,000 revamp of Clifton Young Person's Centre, which will then become the new home of the sixth form for special needs school Nethergate Academy. The sixth form move will free up space at Nethergate's Swansdowne Drive site, which will be used to create 16 special school places in the 2025/26 academic year and a further eight places in 2026/ council says as well as providing more special school places, the plan should cut costs of both paying for places elsewhere and the associated transport. The refurbished young person's centre will also be used to provide youth club activities for members of the community in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. A report issued by the council says: "Nottingham is experiencing considerable growth in the number of young people identified as having special educational needs and disabilities and there is an urgent, significant and increasing need for additional capacity to meet this demand."By developing the SEND estate within the city, rather than sending children out of the city, there will be an increased volume of placements available."By having more placements within the city, we avoid the cost of more expensive independent and non-maintained special school placements, additional SEND transport costs and allow pupils to be taught in their own city and closer to home."
