Clifton residents raise money to repair 40ft sinkhole

Residents hope to raise £50k to partially pay to repair the sinkhole

People in Bristol living near a 40ft (480in) sinkhole are raising money to partially pay for repairs.

The sinkhole appeared in Canynge Square Gardens in Clifton, Bristol on Christmas Day in 2020.

Bristol City Council said repairs will cost £100K, which exceeds the funds available in their budget.

Residents agreed to a shared funding approach to repair the sinkhole, with it allocating £50,000 and the council raising the same amount.

The crowdfunding is being organised by The Canynge Square Gardens Committee, who have raised £21,000 in 10 days.

The committee said the sinkhole was causing access problems for emergency services and was affecting the wellbeing of those who use the square.

Ian Sutherland, the former chair of the Canynge Square Gardens Committee said: "We've lost our community garden."

"We all pay our council tax, so to have to pay a little extra is a bit of a nightmare.

"But if we don't do it, I don't think this hole will be filled for another 10 or 20 years."

Bristol City Council have surveyed the ground underneath to see if there are any other cellars

Mr Sutherland said the sinkhole may have been caused by two cellars underneath the square that nobody knew about.

"There were cellars built for a house that were planned to be built there in 1850, but never was.

"As it wasn't known, someone planted a tree on top of it - a Japanese Pagoda - and as it slowly got bigger, the roots went down and started to loosen the bricks."

Bristol City Council have surveyed the area and have established the area is now safe.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: "Following work undertaken by our contractors to secure the site at Canynge Square, we have been analysing the options to fill the collapsed vault, restore the gardens, and reopen the road.

"The vaults remained undiscovered before the collapse and it has taken time to understand their ownership."

The council estimated the cost of the work at £100,000 which exceeds the funds available within the Parks Capital Programme, but thanked the residents for their suggestion in finding a solution to repairing the sink hole.

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