The Problem
On the 28th January 2014, a landslide in Mevagissey caused part of a private road and tonnes of soil and vegetation to envelop the extension at the back of a small terraced property in the village. As a result of the landslide, the road at the top of the embankment had also narrowed by over a metre in width and one resident had had his car trapped for over a year.

After extensive negotiations, insurers appointed Optera on a design and build basis to form a holistic solution to the problems faced. Investigations had been completed prior to our appointment and had concluded that the failure was a combination of the build-up of rainwater from a localised storm event, coupled with the weight of vegetation on the slope.

The Optera Solution
Optera designed a scheme which addressed the two key issues of drainage and slope stability. Our bespoke scheme not only reduced the height of the vegetation whilst retaining the root structure, but also included the construction of a retaining wall with rock anchors and drainage provision to prevent a re-occurrence of the situation and to re-establish the width of the road. Optera commenced work in September 2015 after the summer season to minimise the impact of the works on a very small, tourism-dependent village.

Project Conclusion
Optera completed the works in 12 weeks, on time and within budget. Whilst various changes were made to the design to cater for unforeseen ground conditions, these were all accommodated within our budget and the project has been signed off. The neighbours within the surrounding properties were delighted to be able to use the road above once again and the affected property itself has been repaired in readiness for renting.

“After extensive negotiations, insurers appointed Optera on a design and build basis to form a holistic solution to the problems faced.”

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