Senior’s home slipping away

Ian Belgrave pointing to the blocks that were supposed to be supporting his house but which have started to collapse because of the shifting soil. (Picture by Maria Bradshaw.)

By Maria Bradshaw | Fri, February 03, 2012 - 11:32 AM

Ian Belgrave does not feel comfortable living in his home.

This is seven years that the soil beneath his house at Franklin Douglin Road, St Andrew, has been slipping and he is fearful that his home will soon end up in the gully behind him.

The 67-year-old man, who resides with two family members, is also upset that Government has made no attempt to relocate him, since, according to him, the slippage of the land was not totally a natural phenomenon.

He recalled that back in 2004 the land problems started when a burst main gushed water underground for four weeks before it was finally repaired by the Barbados Water Authority (BWA).

Belgrave said the water settled under his house for so long that eventually the back of his house sustained three huge cracks.

After complaints to his parliamentary representative George Payne, he was visited by officials from both the Rural Development Commission and the Soil Conservation Unit back in 2005. But Belgrave lamented that he heard nothing more from either organization since that time.

However, over the years the land has continued to slip and so, too, has his house.

The blocks under the right side of the house have all but collapsed while his floorboards continue to open up and uprights have shifted out of place.

Last year, he was forced to install new floorboards to conceal the open spaces in the floor, but those, too, have already started to open up as well.

Unable to walk without the use of a cane and suffering from both cataract and glaucoma, Belgrave said he did not feel safe in the house he has been living in for over 30 years. “I am afraid that it will collapse into the gully,” he stated.

He explained that after the BWA repaired the main so many years ago, the road in front of his home was never repaired and as a result whenever it rained all of the water which comes downhill settles in front of his house and around his property, undermining the house even more.

“MTW [Ministry of Transport and Works] promised to come and do the road, but all they do is drop marl on it. When it rains the water does settle right in front of my house and all around my house – it is like a pool,” he cried.

He also wanted to know what became of the plans by the Soil Conservation Unit to install gabions in the area to prevent further slippage.

Belgrave said last year, Minister of Transport and Works John Boyce and a team from MTW visited the area and assured him that help was coming but he stated that after all this time and with the land continuing to slip he believes that he should be relocated.

When contacted, Irene Sandiford-Garner, who is contesting the seat in the rural constituency, said she had contacted Boyce about visiting St Andrew to assess the roads which had been neglected by the Barbados Labour Party and which were now in dire need of repair.

“I am very grateful that Mr Boyce and the MTW took time out to tour St Andrew because these are not problems that happened overnight. The representative for St Andrew should be called to account for all the roads which were neglected by him. He does not even speak on behalf of the constituents in Parliament.”

Sandiford-Garner said it was very sad what was happening to Belgrave’s house.

“I can understand how he is feeling,” she said, as she gave the assurance that Boyce would be going to Cabinet to secure funding for repairs to roads in St Andrew.

I was unable to reach Payne yesterday.