Residents out of their homes ‘for a year’

Residents of a Surrey village where two large sinkholes have opened up have been told it could be up to a year before they are all able to return to their properties.

Residents and businesses of Godstone are attending a meeting on Tuesday evening made up of a panel of Surrey Police, SES Water, Godstone Parish Council, Tandridge District Council and Surrey County Council.

Lloyd Allen, from Surrey Highways on behalf of SCC, told the meeting that work has already begun to investigate why the sinkhole has occurred and surveys of the land below will take place.

Two households who were evacuated due to the collapse in the road remain in emergency accommodation.

People who were at the meeting were angry at SES Water, who provide the supply to the east Surrey village.

After the sinkhole occurred, two of the three pipes that supplied the village were broken.

The water firm said that water supplies have now been restored to all the houses that currently have occupants in.

But some residents, who said they were on the SES Water emergency list, said they did not get a response.

One man in the meeting said he called the water company twice and could not get through.

He said he was fortunate enough to be able to drive to a water station but other people were not.

The water company also apologised for some incorrect communications which were put out.

The water company’s spokeswomen at the meeting said that “safety is our top priority”.

Over 20 households in the East Surrey village remain unable to return to their properties on the High Street.

The majority of them have now been relocated into more long-term accommodation.

Over the weekend, the council reported that the huge sinkhole was swallowing up even more road, threatening homes, cars and gardens.

The parish council said an operation by Surrey Highways to investigate the two holes had had to be delayed until next week due to safety concerns.