An independent inquiry is to be held after a block of modern townhouses were made so unsafe by flooding they must be demolished.
Newcastle City Council is to investigate the flooding at Spencer Court, Newburn, which has led to families being evacuated from their homes.
Water gouged out material from under the four-storey development, leaving some of it resting on piling.
Torrents of water washed away their foundations
Demolition work on the most severely affected block is expected to start next week.
The operation will take a few days - but it could take up to two weeks to also remove all of the rubble from behind the homes.
A council scrutiny inquiry will report into wider study of the floods this summer.
Cabinet member for quality of life Henri Murison chaired a public meeting which was also attended by Dunelm Homes, the developers of Spencer Court, and Northumberland Estates, the owners of a nearby culvert.
The floods washed away material around the foundations as a waterfall surged through the backgarden
He said: "I hope by the council looking into the events at Spencer Court we can start to make sense of what has happened and how all those affected can be helped while their lives are disrupted.
"The council is determined to do all that it can to support those affected and help the parties involved to rectify the situation as soon as possible."
Newcastle City Council has said the planning application was properly processed, with consultation from Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency.
Meanwhile, Dunelm Homes said the cause of the damage was the collapse of a culvert "on land owned by others" and denied responsibility.
A spokesman for Dunelm Homes said: "We have acted with the thoroughness and rigour with which we conduct our business and the care with which we work with our customers."