Fairclough Homes built houses on land opposite Stanley Park but homeowners’ dreams turned into nightmares as land around the houses began to subside. Just a few years later, 14 of the 33 properties had to be demolished after holes in the ground appeared, flagstones became uneven and walls went out of line. Fairclough Homes paid an undisclosed sum in compensation to buyers of the houses. The firm agreed that the homes were built on land which was subsiding. It was a lengthy legal battle. These photos recall key moments…
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1. Park Lea Estate
One of the boarded up homes on the Park Lea estate Photo: National World
2. Park Lea Estate
Tony Adams who was chairman of the Park Lea Residents Association Photo: National World
3. Park Lea Estate
Reduced to rubble, just a few years after they were built Photo: National World
5. Park Lea Estate
This was in 1985 and the photo accompanied an article in which Fairclough Homes defended it's position over why new piling was needed. Mr Denley Barrow of Fairclough Homes told The Gazette that a sewer at the end of Weymouth Road needed repairing and new piling was needed tomake the repairs. It was nothing to do with the housing estate Photo: National World
6. Park Lea Estate
Clive Welch outside the luxury home which he never lived in. He had a cheeky sign made which he draped across the front of the collapsing house Photo: National World