Residents of 19 households that were evacuated following a mudslide in early November have been allowed to return to their homes.
The slip, which caused 1,300 tons of sand and rock to fall from the former Berry Hill Quarry in Mansfield, occurred during the devastating flooding which hit multiple parts of the Nottinghamshire region.
Some 60 people were forced to live with friends and relatives, or in temporary accommodation organised by the council for over two weeks as work to stabilise the cliff face continued.
At midday on Friday residents were permitted to re-enter their houses and were welcomed with care-packages from the local One Stop convenience store.
They were informed of the decision on Wednesday and given information about the ongoing plans and future safety measures.
Mike Robinson, strategic director of Mansfield District Council, said: “The residents were understandably concerned about the future but they were also extremely grateful for all the help and support they have been receiving from the council’s emergency response team since this incident.”
He added that many officers had gone “beyond the call of duty” to help the evacuees.
One officer fed a rabbit called Fluff, who could not be moved out immediately, for a week, while others had bravely rescued washing left on washing lines and took it home to launder before returning it to their owners.
The council has asked that locals be as co-operative as possible while work continues, but it is hoped that a design for stabilisation work will be ready before Christmas.
Mr Robinson added: “The land slip was an unforeseen event that was caused by extreme climatic conditions.
“Our main aim now is to stabilise the cliff to safeguard people’s properties and mitigate against any future risk of land slips.”
Data from the Met Office up to November 17 shows that Nottinghamshire has seen the most rain of all UK counties compared with the average, having seen 189% of its monthly average already.
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