4 years ago the collapse of a large retaining wall in Ventnor destroyed a workshop and severely damaged a residential property, but virtually no progress to repair the damage has been made, despite more than 1,400 days having passed.
Emergency services were called to the scene at The Grove, off Alpine Road, on the afternoon of Friday 30th January 2021, as first reported by Island Echo. They arrived to find that a large retaining wall on the boundary of St Catherine’s School had given way, collapsing on the ground below.
An area measuring 30x20m had collapsed and 2 people were trapped inside their property. Firefighters from Ventnor, Shanklin, Ryde and Newport utilised ladders to evacuate a man and a woman to safety via a first-floor window.
At the time of the event, it was thought that excessive rainfall – as much as 30mm in just 12 hours – was a contributing factor to the fall. The official cause of the collapse has since been declared as Hydrostatic Pressure – the pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium at any point of time due to the force of gravity.
The fall saw rubble and earth plummet to the ground below crushing the property owner’s workshop and destroying the rear-access steps. Mounds of dirt and brick – as high as 1m – crushed the side of the property, causing smashed windows and numerous cracks in the brickwork.
Speaking to Island Echo, Mr X (as he is to be referred) said that he was first alerted to the collapse by his tenants in the upstairs property who contacted him in a state of extreme shock. At that moment, he had to drop everything and head back down to the Island ‘fearing the worst’.
The property owner purchased the residential dwelling back in 2019 when he moved to the Isle of Wight from the mainland. The premises itself comprises of 2 flats, one which was occupied by Mr X and the other which was – until the wall collapse – let out long term to a local professional couple.
Since the events of 4 years ago, the property has sat rotting away with storm damage sustained in the winter of 2023 further compounding the dampness within.
Though initial contacts with St Catherine’s School were positive, in April 2021, Mr X was told that things were ‘in the hands of the insurers’ and that he was going to be contacted in due course, something that didn’t happen until April 2022.
Fast-forward some 2-and-a-half-years to 30th December 2024 and Mr X was finally told that St Catherine’s insurer was accepting third party liability, but that the issue of liability for the school wall was still to be resolved.
Island Echo contacted the specialist educational provider who said that issues between them and their insurer – RSA – were the reasons for the delays. Despite this, the Isle of Wight Council has ordered that the area must be reinstated, something they have the power to enforce.
Speaking on the matter, a spokesperson for St Catherine’s School has said:
St. Catherine’s (a registered Charity) has insurance policies in place which cover its property and third parties, at the time of the wall collapse it was RSA.
Initially RSA were not satisfied that the wall was owned by St Catherine’s and refused cover. After 2.5 years of legal dispute St. Catherine’s issued court proceedings against RSA, they then accepted third party liability and are responsible for dealing with Mr X’s claim.
Unfortunately, RSA are now disputing that a storm event occurred at the time and refusing to cover St. Catherine’s costs in repairing the wall. We are now considering issuing legal proceedings again against RSA to resolve this matter.
We are sorry for the loss and distress caused to Mr. X and will continue to strive to finally resolve the outstanding matters.
Some of the rubble and earth outside the property has been removed so that it is no longer leaning against the house, but a considerable amount still remains on site. No timeframe has been given as to when it may be removed, despite Mr X best attempts to push the matter forward.
A watercourse runs adjacent to the property, and, it is understood that no survey on the watercourse has been conducted. Mr X fears that since the wall collapse, the constant flow of water on the grounds beneath the house is causing irreparable damage to the foundations of the property, with some floorboards inside the house showing signs of water damage.
Inside, the property is plagued with damp patches and further cracks in the brickwork. Moisture has seen the interior doors swell up to the point that they no longer fit the doorframe.
Sadly, for Mr X it seems as though it may be some time before the situation is to be resolved.
Island Echo has approached the Isle of Wight Council and Southern Water for comment, but at the time of publication, no response has been received.
Get a professional company from the mainland over
Job done.
A good example of the Dickensian way this country works, reams of paperwork and endless legal wrangling, no doubt building up large bills, but no actual solution. Feeling sorry for the poor home owner in this case.