Dramatic photos show a horrific landslide which has left a family homeless and sparked a bitter row with a local council.
Tonnes of earth crashed into the garden of a home in Hastings, East Sussex, leaving Ralitsa Hiteva, her family and a neighbour without homes.
Ms Hiteva said Hastings Borough Council has told her and a neighbour they can’t stay in their homes until remedial work to strengthen their foundations is completed.
She told the Sussex Express: “We have no idea if we will ever be able to return to our home.”
But getting the problem sorted has proven tricky with the council and neighbours disputing who is responsible for the area where the landslide began.
Ms Hiteva said: “The insurance company won’t pay. Landslides are covered, but only when the main building is damaged.
“The landslide is moving toward our house, but at this point we cannot see any physical damage and that puts us in a terrible position.”
Hastings Borough Council insists it doesn’t own the land so doesn’t have the power to act.
In a statement shared with residents, the council advised neighbours it’s the landowner’s responsibility to inform their insurance company of the potential risks and to ask them to investigate.
“As this is not council owned land, the council cannot act further in this matter. We have advised the residents that it is the responsibility of the landowner to inform their insurance company of this potential risk to the house foundations and request that they attend urgently to carry out further investigations.
“In line with our duties under the Housing Act 2004, we must also assess whether the properties are safe to occupy until further the investigations are carried out by the insurance companies. This may result in a prohibition order being imposed, until the risk to persons can be mitigated or further information becomes available to confirm the properties are safe to occupy.
“In these circumstances, residents would have to find alternative accommodation until the property is safe for the order to be lifted. If residents are unable to find alternative accommodation, the council will seek to provide this.”
