'Deeply distressing' time for Coalsnaughton residents, says FM

The First Minister visited Coalsnaughton in Clackmannanshire on Friday, walking along the roads which have been closed off amid concerns about unsafe structures.

Around 100 households have been affected, with residents of the former mining village facing another eight weeks before they can return home.

Other residents have decided to stay on in the village, despite requests from the local authority for them to leave.

READ MORE: Coalsnaughton: Residents evacuated amid fears that former mine is collapsing underneath them

The evacuation began on May 18 and the Mining Remediation Authority has been carrying out investigations to establish the cause of the ground movement.

Cracks are visible in some of the buildings the First Minister viewed, while paving stones on patios appear to have moved.

Utilities such as gas mains have been removed from the affected area.

The First Minister spoke to some of those who live in Coalsnaughton and took part in a meeting of the organisations dealing with the incident.

Speaking after his visit, Mr Swinney said a “very significant amount of exploratory work” is still needed to understand the incident.

READ MORE: Could Scotland’s former coal mines be used to generate geo-thermal power?

He said: “It is important that public safety is prioritised and I’ve been assured that urgent work is under way to establish the causes of this incident.”

Clackmannanshire Council is now working to find appropriate accommodation for those afffected.

Some people have been offered rooms in hotels, it is understood.

The authority asked the Scottish Government for support on May 30 after the scale of the problem started to emerge.

Mr Swinney said the Government is supporting Clackmannanshire Council to assist the affected residents, although details of the package have yet to emerge.

Mr Swinney continued: “To be asked to leave your house at very short notice, completely and utterly turning your life on its head – I’ve heard that from local residents today.

“It’s a deeply distressing situation. So it’s important in all of those cases that individuals are well supported.”

The Mining Remediation Authority is a UK government agency which works to protect environmental and public safety issues arrising from the legacy of the country’s mining industry.

The homes at the centre of the evacuation were built over the site of a former shallow coal mine.

It is understood that experts are now drilling underground to establish the exact cause of the movement of the ground, which is shifting around 20mm a day.

Clackmannanshire Council Leader Ellen Forson said it was a “challenging” time in Coalsnaughton.

Ms Forson said: “I was grateful to the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice for coming to Coalsnaughton earlier today to see the area affected by the ground movement and to hear how the council, the Mining Remediation Authority, and local resilience partners are working closely together to respond to this ongoing incident.

“During the visit I stressed the significant impact this major, ongoing incident is having on the affected residents and the uncertainty and disruption they face.

“Our thoughts remain with all those impacted by this incident.”

Coalsnaughton was also discussd at Prime Minister’s Questions this week, when Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth told the House of Commons that people in Coalsnaughton were suffering “emotional and financial distress”.