Fire crews rushed to attend a premises at New Hedges yesterday (Wednesday), after a section of a property collapsed unexpectedly onto a garden building as well as a car parking area on the nearby roadway - with the ward's county councillor stating that - “fortunately, no one has been hurt in this incident.”
The incident happened during Storm Agnes on the Oak Grove estate at Twycross, built by Mill Bay Homes, with firefighters attending the scene at around 4.30pm.
The owner of the newly built property was said to be away on holiday at the time and no-one was hurt.
A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire Service said: "A section of a property’s gable end had collapsed onto a garden building as well as a car parking area on the nearby roadway. Crew members were involved in securing the scene and cordoning the area. The electricity supply was isolated and a structural engineer assessed the property."
County Councillor for the ward of St Mary Out Liberty (New Hedges) contacted residents to inform them that there had been an incident on the estate, involving a section of a property collapsing, and in light of the high winds accompanying the storm, strongly urged residents to stay indoors for their own safety until the storm passed.
“Fortunately, no one has been hurt in this incident,” said Cllr Jordan.
“The fire brigade has promptly attended the scene and ensured the area is safe. Further investigation into this incident will commence as soon as the ongoing storm subsides. At this moment, the cause of the property failure is unknown.
“I understand the concern and uncertainty this may cause amongst the community.
“To address this, I will be writing to both Millbay Homes and Hale Construction, urging them to attend a public meeting with residents. It is imperative that you all feel safe and secure in your homes, and I assure you that your concerns will be voiced and addressed,” he continued.
“Please note that all homes on the estate are covered by a NHBC 10-year guarantee. I will work closely with the relevant parties to understand the cause of the incident and take appropriate steps to prevent a recurrence.
“Your safety and peace of mind are of utmost importance, and I will keep you updated as I learn more about the incident and plan the forthcoming public meeting,” added Cllr Jordan.
Responding to Cllr Jordan’s post on Facebook, residents of the village suggested that the incident was not caused by stormy weather, and was indeed the second such incident in recent months.
“Given this is the second incident in a short space of time, surely the necessary next steps are for an independent surveyor to ensure the structural integrity of all the homes within Oak Grove,” commented one person, with another stating: “This is the second serious incident on the estate - an entire porch fell off another property out of the blue a couple of months ago. Luckily, no one was hurt there either.”
A spokesperson for Mill Bay Homes commented: “We have been made aware of an incident at a property in New Hedges involving damage to a gable end wall. It’s our understanding that no one was hurt in the incident and that the area was made safe by the fire brigade.
“The homeowner has been advised to contact their Structural Warrantors and Building Insurers in the first instance who, where appropriate, will involve others to assist their investigations into causes and remedies. We will obviously fully assist these investigations.”