A 65ft sinkhole in Godstone shocks locals. About 30 homes are within evacuation zone. Surrey Council calls incident major.
The sinkhole appeared Monday evening, and by Tuesday, it was 65 feet long. The BBC reports that a second hole has opened nearby. On Wednesday, a helicopter flew overhead as orange barriers blocked the High Street.
Christine Duncan, 57, who lives nearby, expresses shock. Having lived there for over 20 years, she states she has never seen anything similar to this event. Her husband noticed water trickling before the sinkhole appeared.
Christine feels shocked and confused about the incident, blaming the numerous lorries driving through the village. She believes that the village is too small to accommodate the volume of heavy traffic that passes through it.
Graham Brookes, 94, also a local resident, worries about the older people in the community. He acknowledges that they now must walk farther around the sinkhole to get around. He noted that the water pressure had dropped.
He added that they were fortunate to still have water later, but fixing the sinkhole won’t be easy. It will affect everyone entering Godstone, especially older people, and businesses will suffer too.
Paul Ryan, 53, considers himself initially inconvenienced but not surprised by the sinkhole. He explains that locals have worried about large trucks bypassing the M25 and speeding through the area for some time.
A local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported lacking water for a while and having to obtain it from a station. Water service was restored early Wednesday morning.
This resident also expressed feeling scared. The sinkhole is huge, and they fear evacuation is next as the sinkhole might grow further. They feel that the situation is very upsetting.
Carl Bussey, from Surrey County Council, provided an official response, stating that they are working with emergency services and utility companies. Their primary goal is protecting the public, and securing property is also a priority.
Investigations are ongoing to make the area safe, and repairs to utilities are underway. He asks that people stay away from the area and assures that they will update the public soon regarding the situation.
Approximately 30 homes are located inside the cordon, and Tandridge District Council is assisting these residents. This includes providing advice about places to stay, implementing road detours, and meeting within the Resilience Forum. The goal is to resolve things quickly and safely.