The 'shoddy' site where two buildings collapsed in Richmond yesterday (10 September) has since been fenced up. 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has spoken to neighbours following the collapse of the two Richmond homes who were left 'shocked' by the situation. 

Ramon, 50, who lives further down the street, said there was 'a big dust cloud' when the roof collapsed. 

He said: "The roof collapsed… they were worried about gas leaks… that was cleared by about 6pm… then they put up some scaffolding to cover one wall that was a bit wobblier." 

The site of the two buildings in Lower Mortlake Road, Richmond which collapsed has been fenced up (credit: Charlotte Lillywhite).

Neighbour Judith Maddison, 86, said she was 'outraged' and it looked like a 'shoddy building site' before. 

She said: "It could have fallen on someone and killed them I think it was really bad, it didn't affect me because I'm far enough away but there was a suspected gas leak and some poor people had to stay out of their houses, there was one woman with a baby who had to wait in a café because it wasn't safe to go back to the houses until they'd actually cleared it, they did eventually clear it, it's dreadful, it's so close to all the houses" 

She added: "It's been a site for ages and ages with nothing much happening and then suddenly they started doing something." 

The London Fire Brigade quickly blocked off the area after arriving at the scene just before 3pm on 10 September (credit: Cesar Medina).

A 52-year-old neighbour claimed locals weren't consulted on the building works. 

She said: "The collapsing was shocking especially because there could have been a gas leak as well… it's really close and we're all terraced here, it could have been a knock-on effect fortunately those two houses were separate the from the rest of the terrace, but it could have been a bit of a disaster." 

She added: "I was at work so I was worried about the rest of my family who were here, who possibly didn't even know what was going on." 

The two homes on Lower Mortlake Road moments after the collapse (credit: Cesar Medina).

Old photos of the two terraced homes show they had three floors each, but are now totally unrecognisable.

Richmond Council approved plans to build 14 co-living units on an empty yard next to the homes in November 2022.

Planning documents said land under 47 and 49 Lower Mortlake Road, the buildings which collapsed, would be turned into amenity space for the development and parts of the ground floors would be rearranged to allow access to this lower ground level.

The documents added the living quarters of the homes would be 'unaffected'.

47 and 49 Lower Mortlake Road, Richmond, before the collapse in 2022 (credit: Google Maps).