Botley pensioner 'too scared' to use water-eroded garden

Mrs Hurst's back garden after water from the Hedge End stream eroded the soil leaving her "too scared" to go outside

A lack of river maintenance has been blamed by residents for a sinkhole in a row of gardens which left one pensioner "too scared" to go outside.

The problem in Botley, Hampshire was caused after a stream undermined a retaining wall and steel piles, washed away soil and made the ground collapse, the Environment Agency said.

Mary Hurst, 94, was told it was up to her to fix the damage.

The Environment Agency and the county council said they were not responsible.

The row of properties on Ambleside backs onto Hedge End stream, classified as a river by the Environment Agency, the other side is owned by Hampshire County Council (HCC).

The parish council said the stream collects water run-off from the motorway and has a large catchment area.

Problems started in February 2020, Mrs Hurst's daughter-in-law said: "It started off with a bit of a hole. It was deep but small and it made her fence collapse."

Alison Hurst contacted the Environment Agency and HCC but "no-one was interested", she said.

Over the next few months the hole grew until it measured "six foot across and five foot (1.8m x 1.5m) deep".

The retaining wall which the EA said has been "undermined" can be seen on the far right of the picture

Mrs Hurst said her mother-in-law, who was shielding during lockdown at the time, "loved her garden but wouldn't go out into it, she was just too scared".

By July 2020, having been told it was their responsibility, the family received a quote for £11,000, "money an old lady just doesn't have", Mrs Hurst added.

"We knew there was a blockage, it's mainly vegetation but there's some old breeze blocks as well, but we were told we weren't allowed in to clear it, that we needed a special permit", she said.

The Hursts were told it was an issue of " "riparian responsibility", where homeowners are responsible for maintaining the banks and bed of a watercourse.

Botley Parish Council's Rupert Kyrle said the Environment Agency and county council had not maintained Hedge End stream "for years".

The local councillor said he met with both agencies on site where he was assured rubbish and obstructions in the stream would be removed.

"They are supposed to clear it on a regular basis, you'd think they'd be more pro-active", Mr Kyrle said.

Fast-forward to September 2022 and the problems remain - Maria Fraser, who also lives on Ambleside, has had "sleepless nights" over her garden.

'Our wits' end'

Mrs Fraser said the "large sinkhole" measuring three metres deep by four metres wide (9.8ft x 13ft) and affecting three properties appeared in September 2021.

"The residents have been battling for answers and redress and we are at our wits' end", Mrs Fraser added.

The Environment Agency had, in 2021, "absolved themselves of any responsibility" she said.

Back at Mrs Hurst's home and work to repair the damage wrought by the stream is almost complete.

"We had to get on and do it ourselves and we're just about to finish" Alison Hurst said, "it's cost about £1,500 and countless hours of our own time", she added.

In a statement the Environment Agency said: "Whilst this is a real concern for residents it does not pose a flood risk to properties, so we are unable to use our flood defence powers to provide any financial assistance to deliver a solution."

Hampshire County Council said it appreciated it was an "extremely concerning situation" for residents.

"We can confirm that responsibility for maintenance and repairs would fall to the landowners adjoining the stream and to the organisations responsible for the relevant drainage structures.

"Management of the stream, which is classified as a main river, rests with the Environment Agency", it said.