Sinkhole street families 'out of homes for months'

It is estimated repairs to the sinkholes will take months

A huge sinkhole that opened in the middle of a Surrey village has stopped getting bigger but could prevent people from returning home for months, according to a councillor.

Two sections of Godstone High Street have caved in since Monday night, with 30 homes evacuated.

Surrey County Council's highways boss Matt Furniss said the sinkhole had stabilised and testing work was being carried out in the holes but it could be months before families were allowed back into their homes.

One local parish councillor said the search was on for people that could offer a spare room while residents found other rental properties.

The sinkhole spread so quickly it trapped this car in a driveway

The first hole appeared late on Monday night when a water pipe burst, growing to at least 65ft (20m) long by Tuesday lunchtime, with a parked car teetering close to the edge of a second hole that opened up.

• Explainer: What is a sinkhole and how does it form?

• Watch: BBC reporter examines huge Surrey sinkhole

Mr Furniss said: "We're doing borehole testing, which will give us an early indication of what's below and allow us to inform the temporary works needed to stabilise the area.

"We'll be looking to completely rebuild the road.

"We don't know what's caused the water pipe to break, that's what the investigation will look into.

"What we do know is that it's currently stable, it isn't growing anymore, we think that most of the properties are currently structurally sound so residents will be able to get access to retrieve property."

He said he believed the second hole had been caused by water finding a route from the first.

Residents of 30 properties, including Rez Mira, were evacuated when the sinkhole opened

The authority has declared the situation a major incident, while Tandridge District Council opened an information centre at St Nicholas Youth Centre.

Mr Furniss added: "All properties have been surveyed and we believe are currently structurally sound, but this may not remain the case.

"We cannot estimate a timescale for return but will keep residents updated. It may take months."

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

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

"The biggest problem was those that were only renting, because they had no insurers to talk to.

"We've been looking more long-term at people that maybe can offer a spare room while they can find somewhere else to rent."

Shane Fry says it will be a "trialling few months" for businesses in Godstone

Shane Fry, who runs garage DD Services, was concerned lengthy road closures could affect "the longevity" of the business.

"We're not allowed public access to our garage, we have lost a fair bit of our business, either people can't get to us or choosing not to," he added.

"I've got four employees, they've got families to look after and I've got my own to look after, so it's going to be a trialling few months for us."

Road closures remain in place around the sinkhole

Catherine Sayer, leader of Tandridge District Council, said the authority was now leading the incident response and had offered five families overnight accommodation.

She said: "We know this is a really difficult time for those residents who have had to leave their homes and for local businesses which have been impacted."

Residents will be allowed back to the site to collect essential belongings once the site is secured, the council added.

Mr Furniss added that the county council was "looking at weeks, if not months" for repairs.

"We will have to excavate the whole area and build the road back up from the base, allow the utilities to come back in and reconnect, and then we will be able to put the road back on top of that," he said.

Graham Bristow, who runs Blossoms Café with his daughter, said: "She's trying to be brave about it" he said, "but she's extremely worried about what the next couple of months might bring.

"If we suffer, is there going to be any help, possibly in rates reductions? We don't know."

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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