The construction of Scotland’s biggest sewer – the £100million Shieldhall Tunnel in Glasgow – was hailed as an extraordinary feat of engineering.
But for Stephen Docherty, who lives along the 3.1-mile route, it’s a never-ending nightmare.
His house suffered more than £70,000 damage during the works and, while Scottish Water admitted liability nearly a year ago, repairs have yet to start.
Stephen, 66, who is living out of boxes in rented accommodation, said: “I can’t take much more. My wife and I are constantly stressed and on medication as a result.”
He and June, 65, first noticed problems in the summer of 2017.
He said: “We’d received a flyer telling us about the project but were told there would be minimal disruption. Scottish Water surveyed our house in April and, despite it being 100 years old, found it in very good condition.”
In May, a contractor dropped two large metal containers weighing more than a ton in the middle of the road.
Stephen, who has two children and three grandchildren, said: “June ran out in a panic as she thought there had been a bad road accident. There was a huge bang and the house shook.”
In June, a boring machine began excavating the tunnel under the road outside. He said: “The house vibrated for three nights. The noise was awful.”
They contacted Scottish Water to complain. Then, cracks started to appear inside and outside, doors wouldn’t close and floorboards started moving.
Stephen, of Shawlands, said: “Scottish Water arranged for a survey to be carried out to assess the level of damage. They assured us any issues would be fixed once construction was complete.”
But the Dochertys involved their insurer Admiral in March last year as they were still no further
forward.
Stephen, a safety adviser, said: “The tunnel opened in July 2018 after four years. We were left hanging.
“We’d paid for a structural engineer to draw up a report. Another survey instructed by Admiral showed further damage.
“Scottish Water admitted liability in November but have left us out to dry. It’s a disgrace.”
Admiral offered a £25,000 cash settlement, which the couple rejected. Stephen said: “We’d been quoted more than £70,000 but the claim could run to thousands more.”
Finally, he and June moved out in July and were told the repairs would take up to six months to complete.
He said: “We thought we were getting somewhere but the builders pulled up floorboards downstairs and everything came to a halt.
“The foundations had to be inspected for stability and it was decided that excavations were needed to do that.
“The work couldn’t go ahead until Admiral agreed the funds to cover it. Since then, I’ve been back and forward to Admiral and the loss adjuster.
“Admiral agreed the delays were unacceptable but the work still hasn’t started. Please help.”
Admiral said: “There is a difference of opinion between the customer’s surveyor and our structural engineer regarding the extent of
the damage.
“Our engineer states the majority is non-structural so considered repairable.
“But the customer’s suggests some damage has worsened since 2018, which could indicate the property is moving.
“We have arranged for a subsidence engineer to visit to establish whether there are signs of ongoing movement.
“We’re doing all we can. We apologise for the delay and lack of communication.
“Compensation has been awarded for the inconvenience.”
Scottish Water said: “The customer has a claim through their insurer and we will continue to do all we can to support this process.”
