Cost of evacuating subsiding village reaches £1.2m

The cost of a major incident that forced the evacuation of 97 homes in a former Clackmannanshire mining village has reached almost £1.2m, a new report has revealed.

Some 256 residents in four Coalsnaughton streets were moved out of their homes after ground movement was discovered in May.

The Clackmannanshire Council report said £750,412 has been spent or committed by the local authority with a further £425,000 expected to be paid out.

The report also details where the displaced residents have been staying since they were told to leave their homes.

An eight-week investigation by the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) confirmed that the issue, which saw cracks appear in roads, paths, and homes, is related to historical mining work.

Under the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991, the UK government has a duty to remedy coal mining subsidence damage.

A total of 97 properties in four streets in Coalsnaughton have now been evacuated [BBC]

The report, which will go before councillors on Thursday, said £1m had been received from the Scottish government to support the emergency response.

It said the council was also pursuing the recovery of eligible costs through the MRA.

The costs include £230,874 for accommodation costs, but this is expected to rise to £408,690.

The current figure for storage and removals is £168,394 with another £27,069 predicted in expected additional costs.

About £180,815 has gone towards miscellaneous expenditure like catering, equipment hire, and rest centres.

The displaced residents include a mixture of private owners and Kingdom Housing Association tenants.

The council said 20 households were temporarily staying in council houses, seven were decanted into wider Kingdom Housing Association stock and eight households were put into Stirling University student accommodation.

Residents living in student accommodation should have a longer-term housing offer by the end of the month, according to the report.

In addition, 27 households were housed by their insurance companies and 23 were living with family or friends.

The remaining 12 households had an unspecified "variety of solutions" in place.

The report said: "For those Kingdom Housing tenants who have accepted decanted homes outwith the council authority, they have been offered the first refusal of any suitable future Kingdom property back in county."

It said the council would continue to provide a "housing safety net" throughout the recovery phase.

Story by local democracy reporter Clare Buchanan

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Ground movement affecting village homes is linked to coal mining