Crumbling Perth homes may have to be demolished, forcing families to leave and tearing a tight-knit community apart.
For years the presence of a former quarry and landfill site beneath Glenearn Road has been a major headache for residents.
It is understood the condition of some council-owned houses has now deteriorated to the extent that knocking them down is the most likely outcome.
Residents are attempting to come to terms with the news, which will tear apart a rare community spirit, built up over many years.
Billy Goodbrand, 53, spent 10 stressful months unable to use his living room after huge cracks and holes appeared in his walls but believes the area and companionship are too good to lose without a fight.
“We are a real community here, something it is so hard to find in this day and age, when everyone has such busy lives,” he said.
“The younger residents look after the older ones and that is why it is so important that we stay here together.
“We would all love to stay in our houses but we have all been advised to start looking for new homes so sadly that just doesn’t look possible now.”
Perth and Kinross Council said specialist staff had been carrying out a site investigation on Glenearn Road to assess the structural condition of six homes in particular.
Neighbouring properties have also been made aware of the issue and owners and tenants are nervously awaiting further information.
Over almost a quarter of a century, ground settlement has led to a running repair bill for the council as it has papered over the many cracks to appear in the homes.
Historical records show they are built on a former quarry, a site which was once also used by the city as a landfill site and may even have served as a mine.
Recent investigations have revealed the extent of damage to the homes and have also identified some deposits apparently non-hazardous thought to be related to the previous disposal of waste materials.
Despite the revelations, Mr Goodbrand’s neighbour George Donaldson, 45, said: “I’ve been living here for five years and it is a lovely house in a fantastic area.
“I am disabled so it is important for me to be near my family.mHere I am surrounded by them and my daughter Caitlin attends the school across the road.
“I want to stay here but I know that the reality is I may now have to move.”
He said he had been left “disappointed” and “disgruntled” by the news broken to the residents by the council.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokeswoman said householders had been “notified of the situation” and confirmed officers were working with them to discuss “all available options”.
Those could include underpinning the foundations of the homes, though it appears that option may not be practical or financially viable as a combination of the subsidence and contamination may require specialist treatment that is too expensive to contemplate.
Instead, the houses could be levelled and new homes erected in their wake.
Mr Goodbrand said that should the council deliver the news he and his fellow residents are dreading a number would look to be re-homed together.
The spokeswoman said: “Site investigations indicate that the contamination should be confined to the former quarry area, which sits directly beneath the six houses.
“Nonetheless, the council will also be contacting neighbouring householders and properties to inform them of the investigations in order to minimise any worry and concerns.”
Among those who have received notification of the investigations is the nearby St Mary Magdalene’s Perth.
The Right Reverend Monseigneur Charles Hendry said the church had received a letter from the council but said he was awaiting more information.
He told The Courier he was unaware what, if any, impact the subsidence would have upon the place of worship.