The exasperated couple say they have approached all authorities for help – but nobody is taking responsibility.
Terry Roch pictured in his flooded back garden(Image: Colin Higgs)
An elderly couple say they are desperate for help as their garden continually floods every time there is heavy rain and they fear for their home.
Terry Roch, 73, and his wife Maureen, 80, had to call the fire service on Sunday – for the third time in three days – after a deluge from what is believed to an old mine working flooded their garden at Springfield Road, Goldsithney near Penzance.
Mr Roch said he is at his wit’s end as the flooding has happened every time there have been stormy conditions over the past six years.
Other properties have also been affected by the water from the mine adit. The area’s Cornwall councillor believes that a full mining and water course survey should be carried out.
Mr Roch has now constructed an elaborate system of pumps to deal with the flooding to his garden but he was forced to call in the fire service as the situation got worse at the weekend. Mr Roch said the fire service has told him it can do nothing more to help.
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He says has contacted Cornwall Council, South West Water and the Environment Agency for help but none has been forthcoming since a hole appeared by one of his outbuildings. The opinion seems to be as it’s on his property, the problem is his.
He says his insurance company has also refused to do anything about it.
“We need help. Cornwall Council doesn’t want to know, the water company and the Environment Agency don’t want to know,” said Mr Roch.
“If the hole had appeared adjacent to the pavement, the council would have been straight up and fixed it. Because it’s on my property they don’t want to know.”
Cornwall Council has responded that representatives from its highways department have attended the property to assess if there is any highways-related issue, but the mine feature is not within the public highway or on council land.
However, the council has agreed that as a temporary measure the water can be pumped into the nearby highway surface water drain.
Mr Roch has also contacted his MP Andrew George and even written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former MP Rishi Sunak about the situation.
Last year the couple consulted mining experts for advice, but they say no solution was offered to stop the deluge which has recently seen around 1,000 litres per minute (12 baths worth) flowing from the hole in their garden.
The couple, who are suffering health issues, are fearful that the torrent will enter the house, where they have lived for 38 years.
Firefighters tackle the flood in Mr and Mrs Roch’s garden(Image: Colin Higgs)
Their local Cornwall councillor John Martin is well aware of the situation and is doing all he can to help.
He told us: “I recall being introduced to Mr Roch in 2023. I initially wrote to his insurance company to review their works to attempt to ‘cap’ the adit so that a stronger and more permanent solution be found.
“I also made enquiries to try and establish who might be responsible for the mine workings there, with no results.
“Over the last two winters there were fewer flooding incidents, as they were relatively dry winters. Recently, after a particularly wet December, I was called to a bungalow neighbouring Mr Roch’s property which had water flooding the ground surrounding their residence. The water was coming from Mr Roch’s garden.
“I then made a ‘casework assist’ request to environmental health at Cornwall Council and also contacted the Cornwall Flood Forum. At the same time, I contacted Andrew George’s office where his administrator immediately began to research what body of expertise was available for advice.
“Most of the replies we were getting tended to fall back that it was Mr Roche’s problem.”
Cllr Martin said there are no records of the mining system locally. “But after discussions with the neighbours and the parish council, we feel that a full mining and water course survey should be taken.
“There are five houses that have been affected by the water from the adit. We all agree that the source of the water is further up the valley. The health and welfare of the residents should be the priority along with an engineered solution to finally stop or divert this water.
“The rain forecast is not good. I met with Mr Roch on Sunday. He explained that the fire brigade attended as the water had flooded inside his house. Their report hopefully will give Mr Roche some supporting evidence for works to be carried out urgently.”
A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service have attended the address on a number of occasions and assisted with pumping water out of the back garden where water is fast flowing from a mine shaft. The service does not typically attend flooding in back gardens but will attend to flooding inside the premises if there is an immediate life risk or if water is affecting the electrics, to reduce risk of electrocution.
“Cornwall Highways have attended the property to assess if there is any highways-related issue, but the mine feature is not within the public highway, or on Cornwall Council land. However, we have agreed as a temporary measure the water can be pumped into the nearby highway surface water drain.”
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