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Subsidence ‘causing headaches’ for Swindon residents

Property owners in Swindon are up in arms following the appearance of cracks in the walls and ceilings of buildings in the vicinity of an excavation operation in the town centre, showing potential signs of subsidence.

Following construction work for the creation of a new multi-storey parking area in the town, many properties in the area have begun to suffer from the signs of subsidence, BBC News reports.

It forms part of a new £50 million retail and leisure complex that is being built by developer ISG on the site of the former Swindon College, but now many buildings are beginning to suffer from associated problems due to the large-scale excavation works.

The 130-year-old Rehoboth Baptist Chapel on Prospect Hill has now been closed since January 24th as a result of large cracks appearing in its structure and a number of businesses and homes in the area are also being affected.

Richard Cooke, deacon of the chapel, told the news provider: “It got so bad that a bird came into the chapel through a large crack in the ceiling. I’m pretty upset about it.

“It’s an inconvenience to the people who go to the church and we all wonder what’s going to happen.”

His sentiment is echoed by local business owner Terry Way, service manager at Cross Street Garage, who stated cracks began to appear in his cellar walls more than two months just after work got underway at the new multi-storey site.

Mr Way noted a representative of the developer was sent to assess the damage to his property, but as yet no action has been taken to carry out repairs or stabilise the structure.

In response to the issues, a spokesperson for ISG commented: “We understand the importance of promptly addressing any concerns residents and local businesses may have and we are arranging to carry out detailed investigations of these properties as quickly as possible.”

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