Social houses planned on land which had subsidence

Plans to revive a street where nearly 20 homes were once abandoned and demolished due to subsidence could soon clear a major hurdle.

The works will form part of a £2.85m scheme to deliver 14 affordable homes in Argyle Street, Norwich, on land which has stood empty for a decade.

A £980,000 contract for enabling works will be voted on by Norwich City Council's cabinet, which meets at 17:30 BST.

This will cover ground remediation, stabilisation, and piling, which are needed before construction can begin.

The site has complex ground conditions caused by chalk mines running beneath it.

Argyle Street, just across the river from Norwich City's Carrow Road stadium, made the headlines at the end of the 1970s when it housed Britain's longest-running squat community, dubbed the Republic of Argyle Street.

Some 120 people moved into the empty houses, forming a co-operative and seeking financial aid from the government.

In 1981, a £1m renovation grant was agreed but, the following year, council proposals to sell or lease the site to the co-operative were blocked.

The squatters were evicted in 1985 and the homes were demolished with new properties built in their place.

These homes lasted less than 25 years, after tests revealed they were at risk of subsidence - where the ground beneath a property shifts or sinks

The last of their tenants moved out in 2009, before the homes were knocked down.

The latest housing project of 14 homes ranges from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses, with all to be available for social rent.

They will also include heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a previous attempt to tender the current project as a design-and-build contract in 2023 also ran into problems, after four of six shortlisted contractors withdrew over concerns about the ground conditions with the final bidder also pulling out.

Following further ground investigations, the council is now recommending a two-stage approach – separating enabling works from the main build – with four specialist contractors identified to put in bids.

Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.