Building maintenance expert Mainmark UK is urging the Government to consider careful planning and community engagement to better educate the public on subsidence risk. This comes as the Government wishes to build more than 80k new homes in and around London per year.

Among the ambitious proposals made by the Labour government, which includes investments in airports and key roads, is a pledge to build over a million new homes, mostly in areas of “grey belt” land.

Termed as the areas of land previously developed for commercial or industrial purposes, grey belt land has since become derelict, and a study by London Councils implies that the majority of Londoners support the building of new homes on grey belt land.

Freya Chapman, Residential Lead at Mainmark UK, said: “Schemes to boost our housing infrastructure are necessary to enable economic growth, protecting green belt areas – land which contains forestry, natural habitats and open space – where possible.

“However, adequate discussions and education on the viability of soil in grey belt areas is urgently needed so that homeowners are fully aware of the risks of subsidence. This is where the ground beneath a property sinks, an issue easily mitigated when addressed as early as possible.

“If grey belt land is the only option for new builds, I’d encourage Government officials to liaise closely with those in the industry, including housing developers, architects, arborists, geologists and subsidence experts. By fostering discussion on geotechnical issues, we can educate, collaborate and enable economic growth.

“The soil quality of grey belt land is generally poor. Because they are usually areas that have been previously developed for commercial or industrial purposes, the soil is often degraded by past overuse or even contaminated by industrial waste. This poses the question, is this land viable for new homes?

“In principle, I completely understand what the Government is trying to achieve by proposing the building of new homes in these areas, which will otherwise lie derelict and disused. The environment is also a huge consideration for any development project and, at a time when maintaining our natural landscapes and habitats must be a priority, building on green belt land is simply not an option.

“What I would like to see is investment in research and development – testing soil quality, funding to further geological survey technologies and more education for homeowners and housing associations on mitigating subsidence risks as much as possible.

“It would also be great to see efforts directed to the refurbishment of existing buildings, which otherwise remain derelict and disused. Regeneration should be a priority for residential and commercial developers, and the risk of subsidence in the foundations of these buildings (generally built to a good quality) is lower than new builds. We have tens of thousands of voided properties in the U.K, the carbon footprint to regenerate existing structures is much lower than building new dwellings.

“Furthermore, if the strengthening of the foundations under pre-existing housing estates (which are generally built to a good quality) can be made more accessible to homeowners, the treatment of subsidence becomes quick, non-disruptive and cost-effective.”

Mainmark UK, part of the Mainmark group of companies, was established in the UK in 2015. Hitting its milestone tenth anniversary this year, the company is aiming to further its innovative and efficient solutions to a wide array of ground engineering challenges, with Freya at the helm of its residential offering.

As one of the only female subsidence experts in Europe, Freya hopes to establish harmony between the built and natural environments, exploring new and creative ways to solve subsidence as sustainably as possible.