Deep mining seams under Coalsnaughton homes may never have been investigated, investigation finds

An investigation into the forced evacuation of a Clackmannanshire neighbourhood has highlighted concerns about groundworks carried out before most of the homes were built.

Ninety seven households have been forced to leave Coalsnaughton after ground movements saw slabs buckling, driveways sloping and cracks appearing in some of the homes.

The first residents were evacuated on May 18, with many of them staying in nearby hotels and student accommodation for more than two months.

After confirmation the movements were linked to historic coal mining below the neighbourhood, the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) released its initial findings on Thursday.

The MRA highlights concerns about treatments undertaken in 2008 to stabilise the ground, prior to many of the homes being built.

In a ten-page report, the organisation revealed some parts of the neighbourhood have subsided by up to 0.6 metres – nearly 2ft – since 2018.

The report said the works appear “to have provided only partial ground treatment” and noted uncertainty over “whether deeper seams were investigated”.

It said other factors, such as shallow landsliding and infrastructure failure, were less likely to have primarily caused the ground movement earlier this year.

A completion report from 2008, listed on the MRA’s website, shows the work was carried out by Mason Evans Partnership after being commissioned by Forkers Limited.

STV News has contacted both companies for comment.

Asked whether mistakes were made by Clackmannanshire Council during the planning process, the current local authority leader Ellen Forson said there was “absolutely no evidence” of that.

She said: “The planning process shows that all due diligence was done.

“All the steps taken were signed off by the coal authority and the planning authority as we moved through the process.”

The MRA’s finding that the incident was linked to historic coal mining means affected residents are protected by law.

The UK Government will now cover associated costs, which could include paying for house repairs or the price of the property if it is deemed unfixable.

Michael Shanks MP, who visited the site on Monday on behalf of the Labour Government, told STV News: “I would say there are lessons to learn from all of these situations.

“Of course we’ll look at that but I don’t think this is about blame necessarily, it is about providing the support for people right now as quickly as possible.”

Clackmannanshire Council chief executive, Nikki Bridle, said: “We do not underestimate the ongoing impact on residents or the considerable work that remains ahead.

“We recognise the considerable disruption, uncertainty and distress they have experienced since being required to leave their homes, and we remain committed to supporting them throughout the next phase of this process.”

Carl Branton, of the Mining Remediation Authority, said: “The safety and welfare of residents remain the priority for every partner involved in the response. We are working closely with Clackmannanshire Council and the Local Resilience Partnership to make sure that support remains in place and that everyone has a clear point of contact.”

The Scottish Government, which previously committed £1m to support Clackmannanshire Council in its initial response, said it would continue to participate in the resilience and recovery operation.