Stabilisation work completed after quarry landslip

BBC Close up view from the bottom of the slope showing dozens of heavy duty pins holding a metal mesh on to the cliffBBC
Mesh has been pinned to the cliff face to prevent further rock falls

Work to stabilise a rockface that partially collapsed after heavy rain has been completed.

The slope by houses at the base of Chilwell Quarry, in Nottinghamshire, partially collapsed following Storm Babet in October 2023.

People living in Leamington Drive said they had "sleepless nights" over the possibility boulders could fall towards them.

The project involved putting concrete blocks at the base of the slope and pinning a mesh across much of the cliff face.

View down a short road to the cliff face, showing a mass of vegetation and mud at the bottom of a bare rocky cliff
Residents at both the bottom and top of the cliff had expressed concerns

Residents in Burton Drive, at the top of the hill, also expressed concern about their safety after the landslip.

The cost of the programme has not been made public, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service, but Broxtowe Borough Council borrowed £1m in February to ensure there was enough money in its capital programme for the year.

A view similar to that above but taken at the end of the main work, showing extensive pinning work to the top of the cliff, with houses visible above
The cliff has been stabilised but work on the condition of trees will start soon

Stephen Jeremiah, who lives close to the site and is a borough councillor for the ward, said the process had gone very smoothly.

He added: "It was a bit of a worry when the mudslide happened, but it's been quite a success story in terms of how well the repairs have gone.

"The next phase of the work will involve looking at the condition of the trees on the slope."

The quarry was once part of a brickworks and has been in council ownership since 1979, when it was bought from David Charles Homes after the developer entered liquidation.

The borough council consulted neighbouring Mansfield District Council as part of the works after the authority dealt with a similar quarry collapse in Berry Hill in 2019.

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