Mineshaft shock for residents in city suburb
Investigation reveals danger to Jordanhill properties from subsidence
MORE than 100 residents living in one of Scotland’s most desirable neighbourhoods are facing bills of thousands of pounds to prevent their homes subsiding into old mineshafts.
Residents of Jordanhill in Glasgow have received letters from council officials saying they will have to pay around £5000 each towards a massive six-month programme of works to fill in the mines, some of which date back to the 1690s.
Glasgow City Council has warned there are concerns the mine workings could “cause ground movement” in the coming years, and say work is needed to “prevent collapse” in the future.
The problem was uncovered as part of a city-wide investigation into shallow mine works.
Upmarket Jordanhill is regarded as one of the more affluent areas of the city, where the average house price varies between £450,000 and £600,000.
Many residents are attracted to the neighbourhood by its proximity to Jordanhill School, a state-funded selfgoverning school that has topped league tables as the best-performing secondary in the country.
More than 100 houses are affected by the problem, and home owners have been asked to pay half the bill for the work, which is expected to be in the region of £1.5 million.
It follows on from a similar scheme carried out in Govanhill, on the south side of the city, two years ago. The extent of the danger to homes in Jordanhill was revealed during a series of drilling tests carried out earlier this year.
A letter to residents from Glasgow City Council’s geotechnical and land renumeration principal states: “The results of this drilling show shallow mine workings are present below your property, which the council is concerned may cause ground movements in the future.
“It is the intention of the council to organise an infilling operation which will prevent the collapse of these workings in future.”
Streets affected include Munro Road, Borden Road, Austen Road and Chamberlain Road.
The council has said it will pay for the works, and then go on to seek recompense from residents at a later date. However, some have expressed concerns about how long people will be given to settle the bill.
Jean Brown, chairwoman of the local community council, said the bill had come “out of the blue”.
Former teacher Mrs Brown, 68, who has lived in the area for 32 years with her husband David, 71, said: “People are very concerned. The properties have been here for more than 100 years, and they are not subsiding, so some people are wondering – why now? Some may think because people here live in homes worth upwards of £400,000 that a bill of £5000 is nothing, but a lot of people around here are retired and are living on pensions, and it is a lot of money. Are we going to be given a reasonable time to pay up?”
The mine works were dug at a time before the city had expanded out west when much of the land was given over to industrial use. As well as coal mines, they were dug to extract ironstone from the bedrock.
Local historian Brian Skillen, 57, who lives in the area, has examined old plans which show the mines in detail. He said they lie at a depth of around 30 to 60ft.
The former librarian said: “Fixing the mines will be a significant hit to people’s finances, but ultimately this will be a good thing.
“It will not affect house prices, which may even go up because homes will be assured against subsidence by this work.”
A public meeting to discuss the problem has been organised in Jordanhill Parish Church Hall on Monday.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The purpose of this meeting is to advise local residents of the work necessary to protect their properties in the long term and answer any questions they may have.
“This is part of the programme the council is carrying out looking at properties located above shallow mine works across the city.”