WORK to provide a permanent solution to subsidence at Station Road car park in Ramsey is to start next month.

Ramsey Town Commissioners accepted a tender from Island Drainage and Groundworks to undertake remedial work at a cost of £186,318.

The Commission is to petition the Department of Infrastructure for the sum of £155,364, repayable over 10 years, with the balance coming from reserves in the local authority's 2011-2012 budget.

The move follows a ground-penetrating radar survey conducted by AW Associates in October 2010, findings from which showed a number of basement wall structures to be buried beneath the affected area.

The survey concluded the cause of the subsidence to be inadequate filling of the basement areas and surrounding land when the buildings were demolished.

The report also revealed the affected surface area extended to some 25 by 22 metres and up to three metres in depth.

The project, which the Commissioners have determined to be a permanent value for money solution, is scheduled to begin on September 12 and will be completed by November 5.

During this period vehicular access to the car park will be solely via the Bircham Avenue entrance and the number of car parking spaces will be reduced while work is carried out.

However 45 free all-day car parking spaces are now provided on the site of the former Albert Road School.

The petition report can be viewed and downloaded at www.ramsey.gov.im