Warwick residents 'in limbo' 18 months after water leak damages homes

The council has said work to repair the road cannot take place until affected homes after been demolished

A group of residents say they feel "battered and bruised" and "in limbo" after a burst water main left the area cordoned off for 18 months.

An underground leak in Priory Mews, Warwick, displaced people from their homes, some of which need to be demolished.

Since February 2022, the area has been shut and residents say they feel trapped and left without answers.

Severn Trent Water has apologised to those affected.

Cracks began to appear in residents' homes

Within hours of the water leak, cracks started to appear in the buildings and walls as windows began to slip.

It led to six properties being bought by the water company and earmarked for demolition.

Douglas Freston, a former resident, said he was given just 15 minutes to leave his home after police warned him his property was going to "collapse into the basement".

He had hoped Priory Mews was going to be his forever home, instead he has moved three times before finally agreeing a settlement.

"It has damaged our health and confidence. I was just [turning] 80 years old as this happened. Then, I was quite robust, outgoing and positive, but I'm a different person now, I really feel battered and bruised," Mr Freston said.

Douglas Freston was given just 15 minutes to evacuate his home in Priory Mews after the water leak in February 2022

Residents were temporarily homed for six months and now deals are being made to buy the houses at a cost of approximately £450,000 each.

For Stewart Whibley, a former resident, he said it was frustrating that the money agreed with the water company had left him struggling to find a similar home.

"There are times when I'm absolutely livid, but we are in a position where we have no choice in the matter," he said.

Another resident, Julie Brown, added: "I'm frustrated because there's more things I want to do to my house, but what's the point, so it's limbo land at the moment - we're just waiting."

Another resident, Julie Brown, spoke of her frustration and described the situation as "limbo land"

For those residents who remain, many have complained about the state of the surrounding area.

The street has been closed to traffic for more than 500 days.

A Severn Trent Water spokesperson said: "The cause and responsibility for the issue is not yet determined, but to act in the best interest of those affected, we've stepped in to help manage it and we're doing all we can to come to a resolution as quickly as possible.

"Some factors involved are restricting the pace at which this is being resolved and we'd like to apologise to anyone who has been impacted by this ongoing issue."

Severn Trent has provided a wheelbarrow to help residents navigate the damaged pathways

Warwickshire County Council said: "This is a complex situation as a number of houses have also been significantly affected and will unfortunately need to be demolished before the road can be repaired.

"Severn Trent Water are working with homeowners to agree to the demolition of the homes affected."

The local authority added that it would continue to work with the water supplier to "ensure works are completed in a timely fashion".