Collapse of Houses Shocks Lower Mortlake Road Residents

Investigation looking at gas explosion as a possible cause

47 and 49 Lower Mortlake Road, Richmond, after the collapse

September 12, 2024

Shocked residents of Lower Mortlake Road have described their relief that nobody was killed after two buildings undergoing renovation collapsed. Emergency services rushed to the scene this Tuesday afternoon (10 September) as two terraced homes crumbled. No injuries were reported.

Neighbours told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) of their concern at learning the homes had collapsed so close to where they lived. Judith Maddison, 86 who lives on the road, said she was ‘outraged’ and that it looked like a ‘shoddy building site’ before the collapse.

She said, “It could have fallen on someone and killed them… I think it was really bad. It didn’t affect me because I’m far enough away, but there was a suspected gas leak and some poor people had to stay out of their houses.

“There was one woman with a baby who had to wait in a café… because it wasn’t safe to go back to the houses until they’d actually cleared it. They did eventually clear it. It’s dreadful, it’s so close to all the houses.”

Ms Maddison told the LDRS she wanted to see the developers held accountable for what had happened at the site. “It’s been a site for ages and ages with nothing much happening, and then suddenly they started doing something,” she added.

The London Fire Brigade confirmed there were no injuries reported, while emergency services are investigating the cause of the collapse and potential gas leaks. Developers were planning to build 14 co-living units at the site.

A 52-year-old neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed residents had not been informed of the works and what was happening at the site. She said, “Given the extent of what we know now was the building works, it probably would have been useful to know a little bit more about what was going on… it would be good to consult people who live near.”

She added, “The other day I could see that they were digging below, the foundations, and then pre-mixed concrete was coming… when people dig below it’s always like what’s happening here because you do hear horror stories of basements collapsing the whole house and things like that. I don’t know whether that was the case here or not.”

47 and 49 Lower Mortlake Road, Richmond, after the collapse

The resident said she was at work when the roof collapsed and only found out when she saw ‘shocking’ photos on the local Whatsapp group. She said, “I was at work so I was worried about the rest of my family who were here, who possibly didn’t even know what was going on.”

She added, “The collapsing was shocking especially because there could have been a gas leak as well… it’s really close and we’re all terraced here – it could have been a knock-on effect. Fortunately, those two houses were separate from the rest of the terrace, but it could have been a bit of a disaster.”

Ramon, 50, who lives further down the street, described seeing a cloud of dust when the roof collapsed. He said scaffolding was put up to cover one of the walls that was ‘wobblier’ than the others.

Old photos of the two terraced homes show they had three floors each, but are now totally unrecognisable.

The houses on Lower Mortlake Road, Richmond, before the collapse. Picture: Google Streetview

Richmond Council approved plans to build 14 co-living units on an empty yard next to the homes in November 2022. Planning documents said land under 47 and 49 Lower Mortlake Road, the buildings which collapsed, would be turned into amenity space for the development and parts of the ground floors would be rearranged to allow access to this lower ground level.

The documents added the living quarters of the homes would be ‘unaffected’.

Charlotte Lilywhite - Local Democracy Reporter