110 homes on a Black Country estate each face a £6,000 bill to repair a collapsing wall as council 'cannot help'

Dudley Council says it cannot get involved in a row about a failing retaining wall which could cost residents thousands of pounds to repair.

Residents in Goodrich Mews, Upper Gornal, are facing costs of £6,000 each to fix a crumbling wall at the rear of homes which they fear could cause an ‘avalanche’ of soil into their back gardens.

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The wall collapsed in 2016 and was repaired but residents say there is still soil falling into their property.

Dudley MP Sonia Kumar has been lobbying for a solution and requested a review by Dudley Council of planning permission and conditions but the authority says it closed the file on an enforcement complaint on January 5 2026.

A council spokesperson said: “The Planning Enforcement Team is responsible for investigating unauthorised development, including works carried out without planning permission and breaches of planning conditions.

“However, under the Town and Country Planning Act, any operational development becomes immune from enforcement after ten years from when it was substantially completed.

“The retaining wall in question formed part of the original development and was constructed in approximately 2009/2010.

“As such, it is now well beyond the statutory ten‑year period, meaning the local planning authority is legally unable to take any enforcement action, irrespective of how the wall was originally constructed.”

The spokesperson added permission to build on the site was refused by the council in 2006 but its decision was overturned by the Planning Inspectorate on appeal and there are no planning conditions in place which could be used to force remedial works at this stage.

Meanwhile, it is claimed after the 2016 collapse was repaired by developers, an agreement was signed which absolved them from any further liability to carry out further repairs.

The wall spans 20 homes but residents of all 110 properties on the estate have been told further repairs will have to be funded by them, at a cost of £6,000 each.

Sonia Kumar MP said: “Residents at Goodrich Mews have been living with anxiety and uncertainty for far too long.

“They were told that the retaining wall had been replaced using systems with a long design life and that previous issues had been resolved.

“It is completely unacceptable that, years later, families are now facing the prospect of enormous bills and unanswered questions about how this situation has arisen.

“There is a clear moral responsibility here, residents should not be left exposed to serious financial and safety risks because of historic construction decisions or failures in accountability.

“I am urging all relevant parties to engage constructively and work towards a fair and lasting solution.”

“This case goes beyond one development, it raises serious national questions about accountability, construction standards and how residents are protected when things go wrong.

“I will continue to pursue this until residents receive the clarity, fairness and protection they deserve.”