The county council and multi-agency partners can confirm that the cordon area in Parton, Whitehaven can be reduced, and that the majority of residents can safely return to their properties.
On the evening of Wednesday 28 July, we were notified of a landslip on the bank above St Bridget’s C of E School, Parton. Given the risk of further landslips a small number of properties were evacuated and a section of Main Street below the bank was closed.
A team of Geotechnical Engineers started assessing the bank on Thursday 29 July and a large area of vegetation was cleared using automatic mowers over the weekend to allow for visual investigations. At the same time the engineers installed sophisticated digital monitoring equipment to monitor any movement in the bank.
Visual inspections have concluded that there has been some slippage to the bank but it’s not clear as to when this occurred. There is no evidence to show a recent landslip - engineers believe the ‘cracking’ that was reported to be a landslip is the ‘dying off’ of some vegetation as a result of the recent dry weather. The noise that was reported to have been a landslip cannot be accounted for from the evidence gained through site surveys and would appear to have been from another source.
Further monitoring and surveys will continue this week along with ground investigations to determine the bank stability to assess the material content and impact of any water present within the bank. Engineers will also drill bore holes and take soil samples which will help determine whether any remedial works are required to the bank.
The advice of the Engineers is that until the results of the further survey and monitoring has been completed, the risk remains to the immediate vicinity of the bank. This means that the cordon needs to remain in place for the school, the playground and the two adjacent properties. It is likely that these restrictions will remain in place for several weeks as a minimum.
The rest of the cordon can now be reduced, enabling all other evacuated residents to safely return. The road closure on Main Street can also be lifted.
With regards to St Bridget’s School, options to relocate school to another site on a temporary basis is being looked in to. A preferred location is expected to be confirmed by the end of the week and would be built using pre-made temporary classroom buildings.
The county council and multi-agency partners would like to thank the affected residents and wider community in Parton for their patience and cooperation.
Cumbria County Council’s Senior Manager for Highways, Karl Melville will be at the Village Hall in Parton between 12noon and 1pm today (5 August) to answer any queries and questions from residents.