02 October 2015
Last updated at 09:00
News
St Albans sinkhole reminds conveyancers to investigate potential ground stability issues
Yesterday, the 1st October, saw a massive sinkhole appear in a residential street in St Albans.
Originally a small hole in the pavement, which was subsequently cordoned off by the local authority, residents described hearing a huge crash before ground collapsed in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The resulting crater, which measured 20m across and 10m deep, led to a late night evacaution of nearby residents.
Research by The British Geological Survey and our own Environmental data providers Groundsure has unearthed information which could explain the cause of the collapse.
One theory is that the area was previously the site of an old brickworks and that the ground was used as pits for the extraction of clay. The presence of water soluble chalk in the ground underneath the road could also be a contributory factor.
You can read the full story from Groundsure here.
Investigate with help from PSG
We are hearing more and more about 'sinkholes' opening up all over the UK and it is a stark reminder that, as part of the conveyancing process, it is important to investigate what lies beneath our property.
PSG have a range of environmental reports that will highlight if further investigation is required, a Ground Stability report can then be commissioned to find out if historic mining or other underground activity has led to, or could potentially lead to, issues with the stability of the land or the foundations of the property.
What's more, when you order online with PSG Connect, our Search Alert system will flag if a potential ground stability issue is highlighted within 75m of the subject property.
Read more about the parameters of all of our search alerts here.
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