Mark Greenwood MRICS

CASE 1 / EARLSWAY

A 30-foot-deep ravine. Now filled and the land reinstated.

Residents’ fences, garages, outbuildings and gardens were collapsing into an open drain on council land. Decades of water erosion since the estate was built in 1972 had turned that drain into a ravine around 30 feet deep.

Today, the ravine is gone and the land has been reinstated. Reaching that outcome took years of investigation, representation and work with residents, the council, United Utilities and Ruttles.

I undertook all of this work free of charge to help my neighbours. I was particularly concerned for an older couple deeply upset by what was happening, and for a nearby family whose child could no longer use a garden that was essential to their wellbeing. Those personal consequences kept me determined to help find a solution.

My involvement dates back to October 2021, when I prepared a land ownership and condition report for a resident, drawing on title plans, historic mapping, aerial photographs and a site inspection. Working alongside neighbours, I continued contributing my property knowledge on a voluntary basis to help progress a response to the drainage and erosion issues. I founded the residents’ association and acted as the residents’ legal representative, taking Chorley Council to court. In April 2023, I corresponded with the council’s solicitors about the association’s application for an injunction, sharing papers and seeking to clarify the council’s position. By September 2023, I was negotiating revised pricing with Ruttles on behalf of the association. The council initially offered to contribute half the cost of resident-commissioned works. Through 2024, I continued developing the proposal and pursuing a funding split between the council and United Utilities, alongside fellow residents’ engagement with the utility company.

I identified an opportunity to connect a local contractor’s need for an outlet for inert clay with the works needed at Earlsway. I worked with Ruttles to develop an outline scheme combining gully infill with a culvert, and helped secure contributions from the council and United Utilities. As the council developed a revised drainage design, I worked with fellow residents to question costs and clarify that filling the gully remained part of the works.

On 14 March 2025, Chorley Council confirmed it would proceed without seeking a contribution from residents and that United Utilities had committed £25,000. The council issued a purchase order for the agreed works on 28 March. I then met council officers and the contractor on 2 April and kept residents informed of the plans. By later that month, works were underway and residents reported that the outfall was running freely. The ravine has since been filled and the land reinstated.

A shared achievement, showing how professional knowledge, persistence and cooperation can help a community make progress.

CASE 2 / INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

Helping a resident navigate a property disagreement.

I have also supported a local resident in a disagreement concerning a boundary, drainage and alleged damage to an adjoining structure. My involvement included a visual site inspection, corresponding on the resident’s behalf and requesting photographs, measurements and professional evidence to clarify the issues. I encouraged the discussion to focus on the alleged damage, its possible cause and the evidence needed to assess it.

I provided this support entirely free of charge, out of concern for the resident’s wellbeing and the distress the dispute was causing. For me, community support also means taking time to listen and helping someone organise their questions when a property issue feels difficult to manage.