§ Mr. TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the residents of Ettingshall Park Farm estate in Wolverhampton will receive information about the results of the investigation of old limestone workings in the area; and what advice he will give the residents about the long-term stability of their homes and the effect on property values of these investigations.
§ Mr. David TrippierThe Department recently approved 100 per cent. derelict land grant to enable Wolverhampton metropolitan borough council to undertake further site investigations of the abandoned limestone mines which underlie parts of Ettingshall Park Farm estate. The results will be available this summer. It will be for the borough council to assess them and keep local residents informed. What happens next will depend on the outcome of the site investigations. However, the Department secured an agreement last year that insurance cover and mortgage lending will be available on normal terms for properties in 601W limestone areas. This should help to protect the confidence of householders concerned. Further details are set out in the DOE news release of 6 April 1987.