Residents of Love Lane in South Norwood are calling for urgent action after a neighbouring property partially collapsed, leaving them worried about the safety of their young family and the street's appearance. Mitch and Vicky Gibbons, who live at number 58's adjoining terrace, say the abandoned house has been deteriorating for years and recently shed part of its frontage onto the street.
Collapse and Immediate Concerns
On July 22 this year, the front of the grey-painted, vacant property at 58 Love Lane collapsed overnight. “We came out in the morning and most of the front had collapsed,” Vicky told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “I spent two hours trying to get the council’s dangerous structures team to come out.”
The couple, who have a young child, are worried about further debris falling from the building, which is directly next door and connected to theirs in a terraced row. “Now the place is actually a danger,” Vicky said, adding: “It is annoying because this is exactly what I thought would happen.” Mitch noted, “Thank God it collapsed overnight, otherwise it could easily have hit someone.”
Since the collapse, Strongboy support props have been installed at the address, and a notice pinned to the door instructs the owner to take action. However, the Gibbons say their calls for further action from Croydon Council have gone unanswered, with Mitch describing the response as “lots of legal jargon” about private ownership.
Long-Term Neglect and Subsidence Fears
The Gibbons moved into their terraced house in April 2024, when there was no visible damage to the property’s frontage, but signs of neglect were already clear, including an overgrown garden and weeds spilling over the fence. Cracks first appeared in the render last summer and worsened over the following year, raising concerns about possible subsidence issues.
Residents believe there may be long-running subsidence problems affecting the property. Mitch said there had been problems “going back for years now” and claimed surveyors had inspected the site on several occasions prior to the recent collapse. A large visible crack now runs between number 58 and the end-of-terrace house at number 60, which is connected to it.
The property is privately owned, but neither the Gibbons nor other residents have seen the owner at the property. Other residents said on Facebook that the only people they had seen entering the apparently abandoned building were bailiffs from utility companies.
Impact on Neighbours and Council Response
The neglected property is also affecting the Gibbons' own home. “It is really frustrating that we are stuck with this,” Vicky said. “It is also reason for people not to want to buy this house. It’s ruining the look of the whole street.” The couple, who recently paid for a wedding, face potential additional costs due to the situation.
Local Green Councillor Laura Bradnam, who has been supporting the couple, told the LDRS: “Various residents raised this after I was elected in May, and I submitted this as casework with the council. The issue has been ongoing for over a year and the council had put in some safety measures to prevent the immediate crumbling of the front of the house, but further damage has now taken place. I will keep working with local residents and council officers to make it safe and hope it gets resolved soon.”
A Croydon Council spokesperson said: “Our building control team has attended the property on several occasions, most recently in July 2026. Following the latest report, our structural engineer inspected the building and additional supports were installed to address the immediate risk and ensure the area is safe. We understand the concern and frustration this situation is causing neighbours. The property is privately owned and responsibility for carrying out a permanent repair rests with its owner. We are continuing our efforts to engage with them and are undertaking further investigations to establish the cause and determine the action required. The current situation is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely. We will keep the property under close review and use every power available to us to ensure a lasting solution is secured.”
The Gibbons and other residents hope the building can be bought by another private individual, or that the council will use its compulsory purchase powers to prevent further deterioration. The owners of both numbers 58 and 60 were unavailable for comment when the LDRS visited.
