Surrey sinkhole not getting bigger, says council

A immense sinkhole that opened successful the mediate of a Surrey colony has stopped getting bigger, according to a assembly spokesperson.

The first spread appeared successful Godstone precocious connected Monday nighttime erstwhile a h2o main burst, and grew to a magnitude of 65ft (20m).

A 2nd sinkhole appeared connected Tuesday, with astir 30 homes evacuated arsenic a precaution and repairs expected to instrumentality months.

Testing wrong the spread volition present beryllium carried out, Surrey County Council's furniture subordinate for highways Matt Furniss told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.

He said: "We're doing borehole testing, which volition springiness america an aboriginal denotation of what's beneath and let america to pass the impermanent works needed to stabilise the area.

"We'll beryllium looking to wholly rebuild the road.

"We don't cognize what's caused the h2o tube to break, that's what the probe volition look into.

"What we bash cognize is that it's presently stable, it isn't increasing anymore, we deliberation that astir of the properties are presently structurally dependable truthful residents volition beryllium capable to get entree to retrieve property."

He said helium believed the 2nd spread had been caused by h2o uncovering a way from the first.

The authorization has declared the concern a large incident, portion Tandridge District Council is opening an accusation centre astatine St Nicholas Youth Centre from 10:00 GMT.

Neighbouring Bletchingley Parish Council offered the usage of its sports pavilion successful Grange Meadow for evacuated residents.

Councillor Linda Baharier told BBC Radio Surrey: "It has showers, it's lukewarm and it has cooking facilities there.

"The biggest occupation was those that were lone renting, due to the fact that they had nary insurers to speech to.

"We've been looking much semipermanent astatine radical that possibly tin connection a spare country portion they tin find determination other to rent."