Families return home after Egremont mine shaft collapse
Nine families forced to leave their homes on Howbank Road in Egremont when a mineshaft collapsed have moved back in.
Nine families forced to leave their homes on Howbank Road in Egremont when a mineshaft collapsed have moved back in.
A film based at Florence Mine in Egremont will premiere on Saturday 15th December.
People evacuated last week after the collapse of a mineshaft in Egremont have been told they may not be back in their homes for Christmas.
People living in nine homes evacuated when a mineshaft collapsed leaving a 25 metre hole have today been allowed home - for 30 minutes.
Scott Moffatt, his partner and their six month old son Max returned to pack up their belongings after being told they won't be able to go back home until after Christmas.
– Scott Moffatt" We are staying with family but it is a squash. My dad is loving seeing his grandson everyday but it's not the same as having your own space.
"It's Max's first Christmas so it is not ideal but at least we have had some access."
People living in nine homes evacuated last week following the collapse of a mineshaft in Egremont have been told they may not be back in their homes for Christmas.The residents have each been given 30 minutes this afternoon, November 21, to take valuables, documents, clothes and Christmas presents.
Last Wednesday a 25 metre hole opened up behind the properties on Howbank Road when contractors for Copeland Borough Council, who own the land, were attempting to pump concrete into the mineshaft in a bid to cap it. As the hole opened the drilling rig pouring in the concrete collapsed into it.
Subsidence had been reported to the council who had been monitoring the area for six months.The council are working with contractors to make the area safe and stabilise the properties, the work may not be completed before Christmas.
People evacuated last week after the collapse of a mineshaft in Egremont have been told they may not be back in their homes for Christmas.
Read the full storyNine families who have been forced to leave their homes because an old mine shaft collapsed are spending the weekend in temporary accommodation.
They were evacuated on Wednesday, November 14th, when a 25 metre crater appeared in Egremont.
Efforts to stabilise the area are still on going.
A ninth home has been evacuated on Howbank Road in Egremont, after a drilling rig being used to cap a mine with concrete, fell around 50 feet into the shaft on 14th November.
The latest home had to be evacuated because the slippage of the ground surrounding the houses has increased.
Copeland Council say they are continuing to advise residents, for their own safety, not to return to their homes.
– Pat Graham, Director of Services, Copeland"“We are continuing to work with our contractors to identify a solution to the slippage, and our teams will be working on site throughout the weekend as well as continuing to monitor for further movement.
“In addition, along with a number of agencies, we are working to ensure that residents practical and welfare concerns are met.
"We realise that being evacuated from your home without access is incredibly inconvenient, but we must emphasise that this is a necessary safety measure.”
The council couldn't specify when residents would be allowed to return to their homes, but say they are exploring potential access arrangements for next week.
Residents living near a mineshaft that collapsed when a drilling rig fell in are still unable to return to their properties, as work starts to make it safe.
The site in Howbank Road, Egremont, has been fenced off and people are being advised to stay away from the area.
A 25 metre hole was created when the incident happened on Wednesday 14th November.
Nine homes had to be evacuated.
Copeland Borough Council say they expect work to start today to create a road at the back of the site to allow vehicles to start work to stabilise the hole.
Paul Walker, chief executive of Copeland Council said:
We do need to emphasise that it is very dangerous for anyone to access the site at the current time until we have stabilised the mine shaft. Our advice is to stay well away. We will be working swiftly with our advisers and contractors to deal with the incident both now and in the longer term.
– Paul Walker, Chief Executive of Copeland CouncilOur priority is to make sure the residents that have had to leave their properties are well looked after and that we secure the site so that we can allow them to return home. We will not know exactly how long this will take until we have received more detailed findings from the investigations that are currently taking place.
Residents in Egremont in West Cumbria are unable to return to their homes after the partial collapse of an old mine. It was being capped with concrete when a drilling rig fell in, creating a 25 metre hole.
ITV Border's reporter Samantha Parker has been there and has sent this report:
Six houses in Egremont had to be evacuated after an old mine shaft collapsed.
Samantha Parker reports:
Copeland council have said that anyone with any concerns about the collapsed mine shaft in Egremont should call: 0845 054 8600.
They say they are working with specialist engineers to investigate the cause of the collapse and determine the next steps.
They say they will be regularly be providing updates on the situation.