A number of property owners in Batley, West Yorkshire are suffering from the impact of subsidence, with many parts of their homes and gardens sinking into the ground.
Subsidence can be a major problem for homeowners and can be caused by a number of events, including drought and flooding, as well as man-made origins including previous mining activity in an area and nearby construction work.
This final reason has many of the residents of Brookroyd Lane in Batley up in arms, as they claim excavation work at the back of the site by developer Mandale Homes has led to the ground in many areas becoming weaker.
Homeowner Andrew Lodge told local publication the Batley & Birstall News how a large crack has now appeared in his garden wall and part of his lawn has sunk, with the damage also extending to his conservatory.
“The dividing wall between my property and next door has completely cracked because my garden is no longer level,” he remarked.
However, Mr Lodge is not the only person to have seen damage to their property as a result of the work, as the row of 13 homes on the road has been affected.
To stop any further damage, the residents are now banding together and are lobbying Mandale to build a retaining wall at the end of their properties in order to prevent further damage in the future, although the company claims its works are not to blame.
Carrying out repairs to property following damage caused by subsidence can be extremely costly and it is therefore prudent for homeowners to have in place a comprehensive subsidence policy to cover the costs of repairs should their home be damaged.
This is where GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Ltd comes into play, as the company offers extensive and flexible insurance to help property owners deal with subsidence in as stress-free a manner as possible, with expert advice and guidance from the firm’s highly trained staff.