STV NewsWilliam Podwalksi’s neighbour first alerted him to ground movements on the street outside their Clackmannanshire homes. 15 minutes later, the police were at the door ordering him to leave.
The 44-year-old was one of the first residents to be evacuated from the former mining village of Coalsnaughton, due to the land shifting below them.
It has seen slabs buckling, driveways sloping and cracks appearing in some of the 97 houses affected.
“It was like something out of a movie,” he told STV News. “As I went out, there were families with kids, pets, all getting ushered down to the end of the street. We were all just wondering what was going on.”
Having grown up nearby in Sauchie, William bought his house in 2010.
It was his first home, and had only recently moved into it full-time after serving with the RAF for 22 years.
He was ready to start a new chapter with a career change when the ground movements struck, and has been left sleeping on someone else’s sofa for two months.
STV News“I’ve slept in worse, but it’s still not ideal,” he said. “The whole thing of me not being independent and relying on other people.
“I’m quite a resilient person, I would say, but it’s been a huge demand on me mentally.
“There’s all sorts of things running through our heads. Are we going to be able to get back into that street? Are the houses going to be repairable? Are they going to have to demolish the area?”
Investigations by the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) have found the ground movements were linked to historic coal mining below the neighbourhood.
In a ten-page report, the organisation revealed some parts of the neighbourhood have subsided by up to 0.6 metres – nearly 2ft – since 2018.
STV NewsThat confirmation means residents are now protected by law, with the UK Government set to cover associated costs.
That could mean repair bills being paid for or the cost of the house if it’s deemed unfixable.
“I genuinely don’t know what I want right now,” William said: “I love the street that I’m in but there’s things you’re asking yourself […] will I feel safe in that property?
“Hopefully I can get some sort of normality, and be able to focus and crack on with life progression, essentially, just get back in the swing of things and not have to worry every single day.”
In total 97 households have been evacuated across four streets. Most of the residents have been living in nearby hotels and student accommodation.
STV NewsLisa Borthwick, of Shelter Scotland, said temporary accommodation can cause a “lot of anxiety for people”.
She said: “It might be unsuitable physically, it might be overcrowded, it can be miles away from people’s communities, support networks, kids’ schools and doctor’s surgeries.
“If you can’t settle your kids into bed at night, if you can’t feel safe when you’re reading them a bedtime story, if you can’t tell them “well this is when you’re going to be able to have friends over.”
“It all just compounds and makes it a really distressing situation for people.”
Clackmannanshire Council has said it’s continuing to prioritise the safety, wellbeing and security of affected residents.
The local authority says it will “continue to work closely alongside the MRA to ensure residents receive practical support, advice and assistance” during this next period.
William has just moved in to a long-term let after 10 weeks without his own place, while he awaits news on his own property.
He said a silver lining from the whole situation is how the neighbourhood has come together to support each other.
“We’ve been completely on each other’s side,” he said. “I’ve got friends now that I didn’t know were actually in my street. I’ve met people now that I’d call friends for life.”
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