An 82-year-old Luccombe resident has said he is determined to remain in his home despite a landslide causing his garden and access to this property dropping five feet (1.5m).
George Gardiner lives on the Luccombe coastal path, where he ran a tearoom for 20 years with his late wife.
Burst water main coincided with cracks
Mr Gardiner told the BBC that he’d repeatedly complained to Southern Water about a water leak in his garage over two years ago, which he eventually fixed with a friend.
However, a burst water main in 2022, he says, coincided with new large cracks appearing on his home.
Love: Stay away from the site
Cllr Karl Love, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health, is urging anyone without the correct training or safety equipment to avoid the site of the landslide.
Cllr Love told News OnTheWight,
“I’m incredibly concerned. George is a wonderful man spent a lifetime serving others.”
Offered alternative accommodation
Southern Water say they are investigating the issue to determine liability, but in the meantime, have offered Mr Gardiner alternative accommodation.
Despite having to climb the precarious slip in order to reach his home, Mr Gardiner has said he does not want to move.
The public footpath, which runs directly between Mr Gardiner’s home and his garden, was closed by the council in 2022 when Mr Gardiner’s drive dropped five feet.
Video showing landslide damage
Watch the short video below, shared with News OnTheWight by Cllr Love, and you’ll see some of the damage caused by the landslide. The ladder at the beginning shows just how far Mr Gardiner needs to climb to reach his home.
Source: BBC Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Image: © Karl Love
