‘Everything rolled down the hill’...family flee home
RESIDENTS have been left homeless after a catastrophic landslide claimed their gardens.
Occupants from at least two homes have been forced to evacuate – and have no idea if they will be able to return.
The properties back onto a council-run nature reserve, but the occupants said they have been told to claim on their own home insurance as the slip began on private land.
The devastating landslide happened near the Old Roar Gill beauty spot in Hastings, East Sussex.
Dr Ralitsa Hiteva, 41, has had to leave the four-bed home with swimming pool she shares with her husband and a Ukrainian refugee.
She said: “It’s heartbreaking. I saw the first cracks on the earth pathway behind our garden on February 14. Over the last two weeks, everything has dropped and rolled down the hill. We have been losing two or three metres every day, and it’s still happening.
“The neighbours’ greenhouse is now tilted at 45 degrees and what’s left of our garden is on the edge of a cliff.”
Ralitsa, a senior research fellow at the University of Sussex, is adamant the problem started by the Gill nature reserve. And she said insurance policies won’t pay out unless there’s damage to the main house. She blames council mismanagement of the Gill, bad planning and poor water drainage.
Ralitsa added: “The infrastructure that was coping now isn’t. But the really scary thing, apart from watching my garden disappear, is the response of the council. “They decided very quickly that it had nothing to do with them so they are doing nothing to stop the landslide.
“This has left everyone in the area in a horrible situation – nobody will be able to get insurance or re-mortgage.
“We are talking about hundreds of people. I want to know how many properties will it take for the council to decide it requires proactive action.” Hastings Borough Council has now called an emergency “invite only” meeting with affected residents for tonight.
Council leader Julia Hilton said: “We are continuing to review this situation and are on hand to answer questions and provide support where we can. We hope those invited to the meeting will all come along, so we can work together to address any concerns they may have.”