New Ripon homes to have sinkhole 'escape paths'

A new council-housing development in one of the UK's most sinkhole-prone cities will be built with "escape paths" to help people flee their homes in case of an emergency.

The plan for the homes in Ripon also includes foundations able to withstand a sinkhole up to 65ft (20m) wide.

The features have been added as the city sits on layer of the soluble rock gypsum and is prone to sinkholes.

A council meeting heard the probability was "low but cannot be discounted".

Plans submitted by Harrogate Borough Council were first approved in 2015 but the designs were revised and resubmitted last month, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Explaining the alterations to the Allhallowgate development, the council's agent said the "need for changes arose due to greater awareness" of ground stability at the site.

He added the council now had a "foundation solution which would accommodate the occurrence of a 20 metre sinkhole beneath the new construction".

"The probability of this is very, very low but we can not discount this," he said.

The committee heard that a 2018 report by architecture and engineering firm William Saunders proposed that an "escape pathway" be included in the design.

It said: "This will enable occupants to escape from the building if a sinkhole were to form beneath or close to the external landscaped areas," the report states.

In March, the British Geological Survey announced it was creating a 3D model of the city to help planners select safe sites for homes.

The city has been blighted by sinkholes, in particular in 2016 when 12 properties had to be evacuated.

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