Urgent works approved to stabilise quarry rockface after mudslide

Heavy train triggered a mudslide at Chilwell Quarry in October 2023 (Credit: Google)
By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter

Work is to begin on stabilising Chilwell Quarry rockface after a mudslide swept towards houses.

Residents on Leamington Drive, which sits at the base of the steep slope, are worried after it partly collapsed following the heavy rain of Storm Babet in October.

Broxtowe Borough Council has since signed off on urgent works in order to prevent any further collapse.

Leader Councillor Milan Radulovic (Labour) promised local residents who attended a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (February 6) that they would be kept up-to-date.

“You’ve heard our commitment to fully involve you as much as possible, with start dates, estimated completion dates and the schedule,” he said.

Ward Councillor Stephen Jerimiah (Lab) said residents on Burton Drive, at the top of the rockface, were also facing uncertainty.

“I have been in communication with the local residents. It’s important to remember there’s concern not just about the rock face but to the residents either side,” he said. 

The cost of the works wasn’t revealed to the public, however it was agreed that £1m be borrowed to ensure that there were enough funds in the Capital Programme for the year.

The slope has been monitored weekly for signs of further instability, and large concrete blocks have been placed at the base for protection.

Council officers said they had liaised with Mansfield District Council, who recently dealt with a similar problem.

The quarry has once part of a brickworks, and has been in council ownership since 1979, when it was bought from David Charles Homes when it was entering liquidation.