Hastings neighbours fear losing 'forever homes' after landslip

The landslide caused dozens of trees to collapse down a narrow steep-sided valley after days of torrential rain and strong wind.

One swimming pool is now teetering on the cliff edge and people fear losing the rest of their gardens and houses due to the “ticking time bomb” ten yards away.

Residents have been forced to move out of their homes near the Old Roar Gill nature reserve in St Leonards after Hastings Borough Council issued an evacuation order.

Dr Ralitsa Hiteva standing at the edge of her garden which has been swept away in the landslide (Image: The Argus)

Sussex University professor Dr Ralitsa Hiteva heard the noise of trees falling on the night of February 14.

The 41-year-old told The Argus: “I heard the sound of trees crashing down and wood crunching. I didn’t know what was happening. It was quite clear the sound was coming from the gill but we couldn’t see anything from the garden so walked around.

“We looked with torches and saw the big cracks on the path and part of the bank of the gill missing, part of the fence was hanging. At that point we were worried about people using the path in the dark who didn’t know.

“The drop is about 30 metres, from our garden it is like the tip of an iceberg. It is very scary, we stopped letting our dogs in the garden.

Ralitsa Hiteva, left, and Gill Clusker are two of the residents who fear losing their homes (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

“This was our forever home. We have sunk all the money we have had into this house. Now it is like a ticking time bomb every time it rains, every time there is strong wind, every time there is noise.

“Our neighbours haven’t slept, we didn’t sleep the first week that it started.”

Dr Hiteva and her partner Russell, along with another neighbour, were evacuated from their £460,000 home on February 21 when the council served an emergency prohibition order.

They were also looking after a Ukrainian refugee. All three are living with family temporarily in the area.

The council previously said a geotechnical assessment was carried out which “suggested that the slippage started on private land” so residents needed to contact their insurance companies.

Dozens of trees and half of their garden including a swimming pool has slipped away (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

Neighbours said this is not true and claim that photos from February 12 show cracks emerging on a public footpath behind the garden, just two days before the major landslip.

The council has now said the cause of the landslip is yet to be determined.

Old Roar Gill is a nature reserve and ancient woodland with a waterfall. It is three miles from the seafront.

Gill and Mark Clusker, both 60, also live next door and said they feel “sick” with worry all day due to the landslide. They fear becoming homeless if the landslide reaches their £450,000 house and garden which Mark said is his "passion".

Their greenhouse is already sagging down and a veranda they built is yards away from the drop.

“When I looked through the bamboo between our gardens, I just thought ‘blimey this is serious’,” said Mark.

Mark and Gill Clusker fear have not been evacuated yet (Image: The Argus)

“Had it happened during school hours, there could have been fatalities. Children use the path on their way to school.

“Since then till now I have been completely numb and feel sick from morning, noon and night. So does Gill my wife.

“The response from the council hasn’t been great. There isn’t structural damage to my house yet so I can’t claim until that happens.

"My insurance runs out on March 29, I’m thinking will they renew my insurance? Where do I stand with that? It’s my livelihood. We work as carers here.

A footpath which ran behind the houses has been swept away (Image: The Argus)

“We have paid our mortgage off. I have basically retired last year. This is going to be devastation, I won’t be able to afford another property.

“I’m going to be homeless and we could lose everything. I’m trying to stay positive, the house hasn’t gone yet. If another tree goes who knows? I’m in limbo.”

The council met around 100 residents on Wednesday night to try and alleviate their concerns.

Residents claim that council officers asked not to be recorded under the advice of their legal teams.

Dr Hiteva added: “We asked if they can do something to slow down or stop the landslide? Our neighbour's greenhouse is now sloped, it is advancing.

“They haven’t considered moving any large objects. When those go, they will bring other things with them. I would let them use my garden for works.

Mark and Gill's house, left, and Ralitsa's house which they have been forced to evacuate (Image: The Argus)

“The council claim it happened in people’s gardens which they can’t substantiate. The survey report they gave us was graphs which were impossible to read.”

The council apologised to residents and said it will look to "do better in the future".

A spokeswoman said: "Following this meeting, we have been asked to confirm publicly that the cause of the landslip has not yet been determined.

"This can only be done following specialist geotechnical investigations which are being commissioned on council-owned land in the gill and on the residential land at the top.

Fences, sheds and trees have already fallen down the valley (Image: The Argus)

"The council is arranging a further meeting with the directly affected residents to review the situation in terms of the emergency prohibition orders which have been issued to protect the lives of the residents judged to be most at risk from the ongoing incident."

Councillor Julia Hilton, leader of the council, said the council had worked hard but understood that many residents feel they have not been properly supported.

"I want to apologise to all those residents and promise that we will do better in the future," she said. 

"Following this meeting we have committed to reviewing how we work in emergencies in the future to try to address some of the concerns that were raised by residents affected."