UK faces summer of subsidence

Written on June 21, 2011 – 7:15 pm | by Olivia Oom

Specialist loss adjuster QuestGates has warned that the UK could see a surge in subsidence this summer.

Associate Director Kevin Terry has stated that the latest Meteorological Office rainfall and evaporation calculation system figures indicate the year-on-year soil moisture deficit exceeding that of 2005, during which the industry saw a rise in subsidence claims.

Earlier this month Defra and the Environment Agency declared that some parts of the country were officially in drought, with England and Wales experiencing the driest year since 1990.

Homes in the south-east and London may be particularly vulnerable, as the plasticity of the clay soil which is common in the region is also most susceptible to subsidence.

Terry acknowledged the irony of the heaviest rainfall of the year occurring just 48 hours after drought was declared, but warned that persistent and heavy rain was needed to head off the risk of subsidence.

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