Huge Bristol landslip under foundations of new block of flats

Locals fear the high-rise with new apartments could end up in the river (Image: SWNS)

Engineers search for a riverbank landslide — under the foundations of a new 17-story apartment block.

Officials from Clarion House and Bristol City Council are analyzing the south bank of the River Avon – where the country collapsed.

The slide is located next to the Boatyard – a massive and incomplete high-rise development being built in the Totterdown area.

Developers are trying to reassure locals that the high-rise block is “unaffected” by erosion.

Photos show trees and bushes have slid towards the river, exposing underground cables.

They also appear to show erosion beneath the 17-storey building on Bath Road – and a large crack that could indicate another landslide.

The Boat Yard development has been under construction in the city for over a year and promises “an exciting new development of one, two and three bedroom apartments overlooking the River Avon.

River erosion under Clarion House tower block, Totterdown, Bristol, 2nd February 2023. See SWNS story SWLNriver. Engineers search for a riverbank landslide -- under the foundations of a new 17-story apartment block. Officials from Clarion House and Bristol City Council are analyzing the south bank of the River Avon - where the bank has collapsed. The slide is located next to the Boatyard - a massive and incomplete high-rise development being built in the Totterdown area. Developers are trying to reassure locals that the high-rise block is — Special engineers were called in to deal with the landslide (Image: SWNS)

Prices for the apartments have yet to be released but developers have said it will be “a popular new residential destination for Bristol and an ideal choice for your home ownership”.

A spokesman for Clarion Housing Association said: “We are aware of the problem at Totterdown Bridge and have taken immediate action to carry out further investigations, with an engineer already on site as a precaution.

“The stability of the building does not depend on the river bank and the engineer has confirmed that our site is unaffected by the recent bank movement.”

The council tweeted: “We are aware of the situation and are sending a bridge inspector to the site today to conduct an inspection and assess risks to the highway.”

It comes after a week in which experts predicted £600m worth of property would plunge into the sea by the end of the century due to coastal erosion.

About 21 villages and hamlets on the English coast have been identified as vulnerable.

Climate change group One Home used data from the Environment Agency’s National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping (NCERM) dataset with a 5% confidence level, indicating a less than 5% chance of the coast eroding further inland than the estimate.

The value of property damage on land that could be affected by coastal erosion by 2100 has been estimated at £584m using average local authority values or Rightmove site specific values.

The group has put together a map showing what coastal management plans are in place in different coastal areas and the level of protection.

The coastal communities identified by One Home that could lose the most homes are in Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, East Yorkshire, Essex, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Northumberland, Norfolk and Sussex.

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