Subsidence or settlement in SE22?

[macroban]

I've lived in East Dulwich a few years now and I've never seen a property damaged by land subsidence. As far as I am aware there is nothing in the area likely to cause subsidence.

Quite a few older East Dulwich properties have minor settlement cracks because of the clay soil, but the brick footings were designed for this and the effect is merely cosmetic and of no structural risk. However, there is no harm in buying assurance from a professional (and not a firm selling under-pinning).

Some properties with more prominent settlement problems have been under-pinned.

The more the unecessary talk of "subsidence" the higher the insurance premiums will go. East Dulwich isn't the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

[Amelie]

I think it is actually West Dulwich that has the real problem with subsidence because it is on the Effra flood plain, we used to live in Croxted Road when I was a child and we had French windows that opened onto the garden via a flight of granite steps. You could watch the steps sinking into the ground incrementally over the years. The house is now a doctor's surgery and I would love to know if the steps have disappeared completely.

[macroban]

I know West Dulwich has a problem.

But turning to subsidence, yes, I would count the "shearing" as you describe as such.