A county councillor has called for action at the site of a landslip in Mansfield more than two-and-a-half years after rocks fell onto a busy road.
Emergency services were called to Rock Hill in the town just after 9am on November 21, 2019, after part of a nearby cliff collapsed into the carriageway.
The incident came just weeks after a separate major quarry landslide forced residents to evacuate their homes in part of Berry Hill.
Mansfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council worked together to find a solution to the Rock Hill incident, with temporary barriers placed across half of the left-hand lane on the road.
These barriers have been in place for more than two years, with plans and conversations ongoing about a more long-term solution to keeping motorists safe.
But a councillor in the town has called for faster action to resolve the issue, saying it’s a safety hazard for residents and is restricting the town from celebrating a heritage asset.
The site is close to historic cave houses located on the nearby cliff face that have been in the town for hundreds of years.
And Councillor Andre Camilleri (Con), who represents Mansfield South on the county council, has called on the councils to outline their plans.
He says Nottinghamshire County Council has spent £170,000 on the temporary road barriers but believes “this can’t go on forever”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “My biggest problem is the barriers on the road.
“It’s a main road out of Mansfield – you can’t have barriers there forever or you might as well just build the road where the barriers are.
“The county council has been great, it’s cost us £170,000 to keep it safe and put the barriers up but this can’t go on forever.
“Somebody is going to get injured in there unless it all gets sorted, if kids got in and it collapsed it would be very dangerous.”
He wants the councils to outline their solution now and, once the issue has been addressed, to find funds to renovate and improve the historic cave houses.
He says they could then be used as a heritage landmark for residents to visit and celebrate.
“They’ve been there for about 300 or 400 years and they’re part of the heritage,” he added.
“First of all, I want them to make them safe. Some work could then be done to get it sorted, it’s part of the town so money should be spent repairing it and making it right.
“It’s been too long now. If we can find some money to make the caves safe and then improve them so people can visit them, it would really boost the town.”
Mansfield District Council says conversations are ongoing with the county council about finding a longer-term solution to the issue.
The authority adds an update will be provided once this has been decided.
Martin Saxton, head of planning and regeneration, said: “We are working with our partners at Nottinghamshire County Council to provide a long-term solution to the situation at Rock Hill.
“Further updates will be provided as soon as possible.”
A Nottinghamshire County Council spokesperson added the traffic measures will be in place until the “best solution” is found.
A council statement said: “We have been working with Mansfield District Council and other interested parties, along with technical specialists to identify the best solution to stabilise the bank.
“Until these works are complete, traffic management will remain in place to ensure the safety of pedestrians and road users.”
