A GUNNISLAKE pensioner who this month discovered a deep mineshaft under his front garden says he and his neighbours have been ?left in the dark? and fearful about about the future. Larry Lockett, 68, and his wife June, of Sandhills Park, have been unable to use their front garden or drive since the discovery of the shaft at the beginning of March ? Caradon District Council has fenced the garden off and told Mr Lockett he cannot park his motorhome on the drive due to safety fears. It is not known exactly how deep the shaft is, but estimates have been made at around 400ft. Mr Lockett has put the matter in the hands of his solicitor ? but still has no information regarding the shaft ? or what would happen next. Mr Lockett said: ?I am worried, I would like it to be resolved as soon as possible. I just feel we?ve been left in the dark. ?We heard of a lady in Horrabridge who had a similar situation and it was five years before that was eventually resolved. ?I?ve tried to get in touch with the council but they seem to be taking their time about things ? we?re a bit browned off really.? Mr Lockett said other householders at Sandhills were also concerned. ?They are all worried in case this shaft encroaches onto their properties as well,? he said. Lynn Eadie, site representative for residents at Sandhills, said people on the estate were ?desperate?. She said: ?Caradon said they would do a full site investigation at no cost to the residents, but they only did part of the site. They said they?d get back to us but we?ve heard nothing ? we are worried sick, we?ve literally been left in the dark. ?We are the ones that are living here but how dangerous is it? Last night we didn?t sleep listening to the wind and the rain, wondering if it could affect the ground ? it?s making us ill.? Miss Eadie said mineshaft discovery and fears the properties were built near land contaminated with arsenic had affected the value of the houses. ?We are desperate for help. We have all got paperwork to say the site had been signed off ? why has Caradon now got £66,000 from Defra to re-test it?? Jerry Masters, head of operations and technical services at Caradon, said the site had been visited regularly and further investigations were being carried out. ?We don?t believe the shaft is exceptionally deep, the next stage is to open up the top and check what we believe to be the case ? certainly no properties are at risk.? Mr Masters admitted it was ?awfully frustrating? for residents, but the council would be in contact as soon as it had more information. In the meantime he was investigating the possibility of a land stabilisation grant to help to cap the shaft, which could run to £10,000. The mineshaft was discovered by the council when it carried out tests for contaminated land at Sandhills. Martin Gregory, of Caradon?s environmental health department, confirmed the council knew a bank adjacent to Sandhills was contaminated, but planning consent was granted for the properties, provided there was no access to the bank. Mr Gregory said with the passing of time, people had started using the bank and the council realised some action would have to be taken to remediate the land ? and check there was no further contamination. He confirmed the council had been given a grant by Defra to carry out further tests. ?We have met with residents on a number of occasions and people have been informed by regular letters what is happening,? said Mr Gregory. He added that discovering who was responsible for land remediation was a formal, lengthy legal process which could take up to a year to conclude.
