FEARS of another serious landslip in Looe have been raised by residents, who have been monitoring cracks which have appeared in the road in Hannafore Lane, West Looe.

The lane is a popular route for Hannafore residents walking into the main town. It runs above Hannafore Road, which was blocked in December last year when a huge landslip occurred below the Round House.

There is concern that any slip from the lane could fall down onto Hannafore Road.

West Looe resident Tim Deakin, a quantity surveyor, has contacted Cornwall councillor Edwina Hannaford, who had asked him to keep regular checks on the section of the lane above the ravine.

He expressed his concern that the cracks in the road surface had widened, due, he thought, to the recent rainfall.

He wrote to her: 'There is no doubt that this piece of land is moving, and that at some time there will be a landslide down onto Hannafore Road. Having known Hannafore Lane for over 40 years, monitoring the cracks for the past year, and now observing this latest ground movement, I suggest that a landslip is imminent.'

Mr Deakin added that he and fellow residents looked forward to seeing some immediate action or receiving signed, written assurances from a specialist authority.

Cllr Hannaford said she was very concerned that the road and cliff below may be unstable, and that she had undertaken a recent walkabout in the area with the Highways manager Robert Constance. She said she also noted that some of the drains were blocked and needed attention.

She has passed on Mr Deakin's points to the chief executive at Cornwall Council as well as other officers.

'This is a great worry to me and the residents of Hannafore,' she said.

Resident Brian Galipeau has also expressed concerns about the road movement in Hannafore Lane, and attended the meeting of Looe Town Council's environment and public protection committee on Monday, chaired by cllr Trevor Crane.

Tests

Mr Galipeau said he had taken pictures for an update to the council in April when the cracks were the thickness of his ignition key, but now they are the width of it.

He asked the council how many engineering tests had been conducted in Hannafore Road and Hannafore Lane, and what had been done to develop a contingency plan, and also an analysis of the social and economic costs of either road collapsing.

Cllr Crane read a letter from cllr Hannaford who said a senior engineer had checked the area but had reported no 'significant cracking.'

However, in view of the concerns, he is going to have pins fitted so measurements can be taken. He will also have the cracks sealed to prevent water getting in.

The committee is to recommend that the town council forces Cornwall Council to take an independent survey and that the outcomes should be in writing with named officers.

'We seem to have lost six months getting to grips with these risks,' said Mr Galipeau. 'I think the town council has a duty to fight for local people directly with the Highways Authority. Testing is obviously costly, but if things go wrong we know how big a tragedy can occur, and the financial and social costs of Hannafore being cut off for a long period would be massive.'