Around lunchtime on Tuesday, February 20 residents of Military Road reported hearing a strange noise, like trees cracking and a rumbling sound getting louder and louder as they listened. When they went outside their homes, they were faced with a road blocked by debris. A large section of the cliff behind the road had been dislodged, presumably by the sheer volume of rainwater over the last few months.
East Sussex Highways sent a steward to assess and set in place what was needed to remedy the situation. The police were present and had blocked off the road at the entrance to Military Road. They were on hand to inform people why they could not pass down the road. The Highways Agency was not in a position to make a comment at the time.
A resident of Military Road commented: “Soil had been removed from the site of the collapse over the past two years. The property owner cut into the hillside to create a sharp right angle (leaving a vertical face rather than keeping a gentle slope). In my opinion, this weakened support of the hillside above, thus contributing to the land slip. In 2014 a more substantial slip occurred immediately to the left of the current site (behind the block of flats in the two-storey white building). Trees of substance were also removed from the bottom of the slope.”
Another local resident said: “My mum is a bit worried as she’s elderly but I think she will be okay. I am not aware of any concerns from her side of the road but I’m sure those in the flats and maybe the thatched property will be anxious. It’s something we’ve waited to happen at that point for the last forty years. There have been several falls behind the flats opposite over the years.”
Image Credits: Kt bruce .
According to knowledge from Older Ryer’s ,there have been natural springs and water displacement from these cliffs for many years.This is not a new event ,removal of any soil etc from the base a cliff is sheer folly.
Lets not forget what happened in Fishmarket road when a house was demolished ,bank dug away , and putting houses at risk ,It was next to the Ypres Pub and very near to the Ypres Castle. significant work then had to be done to rectify everything afterwards.
It’s extraordinary that over the last couple of years there has been activity on this land,clearing soil and trees, but surely the custodians of this town have been aware of this,so why wasn’t an enforcement notice put on any activity on this site, until a survey was done,I especially as other landslides have taken place adjacent to this site,over the years.
Trees have their vital purpose; the roots absorb excess water which in turn strengthens the trees and maintains the stability of the surroundings. Remove the trees and this stability will be removed.
This landslip occurred a bit further along Military Road from the site where planning permission was given a few years ago to build a two storey garage close to the Globe Inn. As far as I can tell, no building work has started on that project and I wouldn’t be surprised if the reasons include instability in the vertical cliff (Rye Hill) behind the site. It looks like metal rods have been inserted into the cliff face. People in Military Road are now asking why planning permission was given when the cliff was and is so obviously unstable, as demonstrated by this land slip and others that have happened in the past. As other comments have said, it’s vital to keep trees on the slope to help bind the soil together. At the same time, there will continue to be landslips after heavy rain.
Work on the site adjacent to the Globe has indeed begun, but seems to have come to a halt since the landslip further up the road. This site is currently cordoned off with the loss of about 4 car parking spaces. When construction vehicles have been at the site they create an obstruction and potentially dangerous pinch point!
It’s now Friday and residents I have been speaking to are hugely concerned why this debris has not been removed from the road, causing them to detour to Houghton green lane,which is potholed at not suitable for the volume of traffic having to use it at this present time, and also the concern of emergency vehicles trying to access residents in an emergency on this road, rumour has it no one wants to take responsibility for this debacle,but surely common sense needs to prevail,surely the Environment Agency who have huge concrete blocks available, could lend a hand in getting this road open again for all residents, before we see another landslide which looks alarmingly imminent.
Also a smaller landslip which blocked Dumbwomans Lane yesterday. Volume of rainfall plus natural springs plus very few living/rooted trees remaining in the very steep bank. Our thanks to local farmer for clearing the mud/debris.
Makes me wonder how long it’s going to take to get this cleared away.
The diversion up through Houghton Green lane is totally unsuitable for the amount of traffic that uses the military road route. Particularly during the school run times.
I have no doubt this is not going to be cleared any time soon.
The councils highways department are already over stretched.
Plus all the feasibility studies, engineers consultants reports, English Nature newt fences, contractor tenders and insurance claims.
Not many years back a local man with a digger would have been called in and job would have been sorted .
I believe some of the trees were deemed dangerous and had to be removed/cut back and were interfering with cables but this naturally unsettles the cliff face and some advice should have been given in how to rectify this. I had noticed more water outside on the road and this was obviously coming from the cliff whereas before the trees would have taken this moisture. Plus continually digging out the bottom as said previously making it more vertical has had a real impact too. I am assuming this was done to possibly make an area suitable for planning in the future. My main concern now is that it is rectified. Yes it’s very inconvenient and a huge mess out there, but it is still coming down at the moment and it’s just not a question of clearing the road and that’s it. It needs careful handling and measures must be put in place to stop it happening again. The residents and their homes need to be protected plus the access route into Rye too. I live very close to it and am very disappointed that no one has contacted me to say what is happening and how they feel it might be rectified. I have also written to the Rye Council and am waiting a response.
If I may be permitted a follow-up, who the heck was responsible for cutting into the cliff edge to make it more ‘vertical’, which appears to have contributed to this landslip? If this allegation is true, and it was a landowner, they should be named and they should be made to pay for the clear-up operation, which no doubt will cost the public several thousand pounds. Also, if the cutting into the cliff side was done to facilitate a planning application on this site (as one commenter suggests), any such application in future should be roundly rejected. I’d invite the landowner to comment. There have been some serious drainage and land instability issues affecting this side of Military Road over the years and still we see people desperately seeking to build properties, extensions or outbuildings next to an unstable slope!
The “One Network” roadworks website has just (8pm Friday) updated showing Military Road closed until June! Hmm.