A YEAR-LONG delay to fix a cracked wall in council-owned sheltered accommodation has led to costs escalating from £33,000 to £250,000.

Foundations at Wardona Court, Ames Road, Swanscombe, which was built in the late 1980s, nearly collapsed after water from leaking pipes washed away soil.

Dartford Borough Council officials first knew about the problems at the building in September 2000 when a crack in a wall was reported by a resident. But all they did was fill it in.

More than a year later they are still struggling to repair the building where 29 people live and there is still no definite date for it to be finished.

A structural engineering report on damage to the warden's room on the ground floor and the flat above, written in November 2000, said: "This was most likely to be due to foundation settlement, caused by water movement through the sand and gravel."

There had been a long-standing Water Authority mains supply leak to the building which had been repaired, as well as a broken rainwater pipe which might have been soaking the soil.

When work finally started on the building in June this year, nine months after the first problem was reported, vibrations from the drill and hammer equipment being used to underpin the foundations caused the building to move 15mm in one day.

Work on the building was stopped and temporary internal and external steel supports were put up to stop the building moving any further.

Conservative councillor Jeremy Kite said: "It is disturbing that faults like this will occur in a relatively new building .

"The scrutiny committee will want to enquire about the year- long delay between the report from the council's structural engineers and the serious position we are in today.

"Residents and their families must be very worried."

A Dartford Borough Council spokesman said: " During the winter of 2000/2001, there was movement underground. This meant the project had to be regularly reviewed and works did not start immediately. Clearly, extra remedial work has increased costs and these are being met within the council's budgets

"The target date for completion is January 31, 2002, though this may be reviewed."

November 13, 2001 12:03

Ed Hadfield