By Sarah Newstead

Last updated 11:15, Friday, 28 November 2008

RESIDENTS on a Silloth estate are fearing for their home’s foundations after a sewer collapsed causing subsidence.

Homeowners say their homes are blighted by the reputation of the estate locally - they say they cannot sell their houses and feel trapped until the problems have been solved.

Several of the houses on the Persimmon Homes Epsom Green estate of 31 detached and semi-detached homes have been beleaguered with problems since the residents moved into their new-build properties in 2006.

The driveway and garden of one home is deep under rubble as United Utilities conduct works estimated at £250,000 to remove and relocate the sewer.

It is believed the owners of this property have been forced to seek rented accommodation.

One resident, who asked not to be named, has had to watch as her neighbour’s driveway and front garden cave in. Unitied Utilities claim the sewer collapsed this March, but the resident said the problems began over two years ago.

And this summer, her worst fears were realised as her own drive began to crumble. She said: “Everybody on the estate is worried sick. In one garden, a shed has sunk by a foot. It’s like Homes From Hell, except I’m living in it.”

She added that noise from generators pumping from the broken sewer - believed to be Silloth’s main sewer - has kept her awake at night for two years.

One couple Steve and Christine Dommett, who retired to Greenrow Meadows on the estate in 2006, say they have lived with the fear of their home “falling down about their ears”.

Soon after they moved in they became aware of problems with the house next door. They claim it was bought back from the occupier by Persimmon earlier this year after water gushed up through its foundations and Allerdale’s building inspector began to monitor the situation.

Mr Dommet said: “Water was coming up every 55 minutes. All that water coming up and going down underneath it for two and a half years. Is our drive going to sink too?”

He believes bore holes drilled into the ground before the homes were built fractured a water pipe. But the Dommett’s have not been given any assurances that their home is safe.

Mrs Dommett said a communal driveway is beginning to sink and a lamppost has recently begun to tilt. “We bought this house in good faith. But we have more rights buying a tin of beans than we have here. The whole area needs testing to see if it is stable.”

They put their detached house on the market a year ago, but were unable to sell it. Mr Dommett puts this down to the reputation of the estate. “We put it on before the credit crunch. We retired early to live on our savings and do up our house before downsizing. But now we feel as if we are in prison.”

After losing their lifesavings in doomed Icelandic bank, Icesave, the couple now unable to fund their fight for answers from Persimmon. They say their only hope is that the problems will be rectified and Persimmon guarantee the land is stable.

The Cumberland News understands several other residents have also engaged solicitors to get answers and compensation from Persimmon. Residents also invited a representative from Persimmon to a meeting to answer their questions - none attended.

A United Utilities spokeswoman said: "The ground on the housing estate is very poor, this has created difficult working conditions and the repair has been complicated.

"We understand that this is a difficult time for our customers. We are doing our best to resolve the situation and undertake the repairs as quickly as we possibly can."

A Persimmon spokeswoman said: “The subsidence on site at Epsom Green is due to a collapsed main sewer. Whilst we cannot accept responsibility for the sewer, we are offering our assistance to United Utilities who are working to rectify the problem.”

Persimmon were unable to respond to further questions at the time of going to press.

An Allerdale Council spokesman said: “We are still monitoring the investigations and would hope that the developer has a resolution to the water problems soon.”

Persimmon retain land adjoining the estate earmarked for future development.