What we are asking for
Eight things that would make residents safer, better informed and able to recover.
We want three things: to be safe, to recover, and to be told the truth about what happened above our homes.
1. Treat the mine as a live safety question until proven otherwise
An independent inspection and stability assessment of the Garth Iron Mine workings, with the results published in plain language. A review before periods of heavy rain.
2. Pause blasting near the old workings
Until the HSE investigation into the blast design reports, and independent experts confirm it is safe to resume.
3. Map the route the water took
A mapped flood route from source to each affected property, together with water and soil testing, so residents know what came through their homes and gardens.
4. Publish the records
The blast, drainage, inspection, permit, correspondence and testing records set out on our concerns page, so that residents and their representatives can see the same information the regulators have.
5. Explain how this was assessed and consulted on
A clear account of how the West Adit and the mine water pathway were assessed, what conditions were imposed, what monitoring was required, and what residents were told.
6. Look again at the wider picture
Not only whether the quarry is complying with its current permission, but whether a permission of this scale, affecting a site of this significance above a community of this size, received the scrutiny and public consultation it warranted.
7. Help residents recover properly
Many losses are insured and are being dealt with. Others are not. Excesses, uninsured contents, damage to gardens, drives and land, temporary accommodation, and the sheer time people have spent cleaning and repairing their own homes.
8. Tell us next time
Whatever is decided about the past, residents living below an active quarry and a flooded historic mine should be kept informed as a matter of course, in plain language, before something goes wrong rather than after.
Add your voice
If you live in the area, joining the group makes these requests harder to ignore.