UUÂãÁÄÖ±²¥

Introduction to subsidence

Subsidence occurs when the ground underneath a structure is unable to support it effectively. Subsidence often occurs when the ground loses moisture and shrinks which can be caused by prolonged dry spells.

Ground movement can also occur through ‘settlement’ (a natural process of a property pressing down on the ground below), ‘heave’ (where the ground beneath a building rises up, often caused by flooding, water leakage or trees near a property) and ‘landslip’ (land moving sideways as a result of erosion, common in coastal properties).

Many factors can trigger subsidence and land movement issues. These include:

1. •

   man-made disturbance (eg mines, mine shafts, old wells, soakaways, former ICE-houses, former storage or refuse pits)

2. •

   change in drainage patterns

3. •

   heavy rain

4. •

   groundwater abstraction

5. •

   the effects of Climate Change (eg rain, drought, unpredictable weather patterns), an increasingly significant factor

6. •

   trees

It is argued that hydraulic fracturing (‘Fracking’) causes land movement. A government ban on fracking was introduced 2019, but it was removed in September 2022 due to concerns about energy security. The former Department