Our village is disappearing into sinkholes – it’s forced us into drastic action… I’m scared to let son play outside
TERRIFYING sinkholes are turning a sleepy suburb into a deepening disaster as residents fear their cars and houses could be swallowed up by the ground.
Locals in Thorpe Hamlet - an area to the east of Norwich in Norfolk - say more must be done to tackle the emergence of huge holes in the streets, which has even forced some into the drastic action of leaving their homes.
The large post-war residential estate was built on chalky, sandy land which has been ravaged by rain in recent weeks, causing major concerns for homeowners and tenants.
Shocking pictures show a tree that has sank 8ft into the ground since the start of the year, while roads and buildings are being pulled into the ground and cracks are appearing on surrounding walls.
Carer Lynn Chester, 49, says she no longer likes her ten-year-old son, Louis, playing outside, as she fears another hole could open up at any time.
She told The Sun: “It’s so scary, I don’t feel safe here anymore, let alone the damage it could be doing to my car.”
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Told to leave homes
Since January 25, at least four large sinkholes have appeared on roads on the estate, according to residents.
Toni Yallop, 52, said: “My husband Chris noticed a sinkhole had swallowed up a large tree in the wooded area at the back of our garden. It’s a huge hole, about twenty five feet wide and eight feet deep.
“He immediately complained to the council as we also noticed our garden gate is leaning at a strange angle and we fear the house and garden is also subsiding.”
“The council has rehoused my neighbour from the bungalow next door and want us to leave urgently too. However, the accommodation we were offered isn’t suitable as I’m disabled.”
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Toni will have her needs assessed in April before alternative accommodation can be offered.
In the meantime, she doesn’t sleep very well as she fears her house is gradually sinking.
She added: “I look out every day and see the tree in the sinkhole get lower and lower and my garden gradually subsiding. Will I wake up one morning to find part of my bungalow has disappeared too?”
Norwich City council has placed fencing around the hole but as yet has not fixed the problem.
Road dropping away
Since the first sighting in January, more sinkholes have appeared, as well as subsidence on surrounding roads and properties.
Lynn, who has lived on the estate for 20 years, no longer feels safe driving along the road, which is used by buses and lorries and becoming further weakened.
She said: “I emailed the council to complain about the state of the road outside my house because the subsidence is so bad the tarmac has lifted and has become like speed bumps on one side of the road in the last few days.
“The other side of the road has dropped several inches.”
She continued: “Having heard nothing, I rang the council twice before they sent somebody out to investigate. Each part of the council say they’re not responsible and one department even told me ‘it’s the water board’s problem’.”
Further along the road is the home of Mary Rose, a 70-year-old cleaner.
Standing in her beautifully-tended garden full of spring flowers, she says: “This has been my home for 44 years and I no longer feel safe.
"About 30 years ago, two houses had to be demolished due to a huge sinkhole appearing outside their front doors. It wasn’t possible to repair them. I fear it’s happening again, and I don’t think the council is doing enough.”
Retired minibus driver John Marshall, 73, and his wife, Josephine, have lived in the area for 20 years.
They have recently been concerned by the high number of water board and gas workers seen digging up the roads and pavements.
Josh said: “Although we aren’t directly affected by the sinkholes and subsidence, we’re concerned there may be a problem with these services. We feel deeply sorry for our neighbours, it’s a real worry for them."
Just a short distance away is Lionwood Road, where NHS worker Terri Cole, 63, regularly walks her dog, Buddy.
During the past week, she’s noticed an area at the end of the road has been fenced off, due to another sinkhole.
“I’m now extremely nervous about walking Buddy, I keep him on a tight lead because you can’t be sure when another hole might open up and he’d fall in. It’s a terrible situation and requires much more to be done,” she said.
Cracks in the walls
Flats in some areas of the estate date back to the 1960s and have also been affected by sinkholes and subsidence.
Mouse Hold Gardens has garages adjoining the flats, which have large cracks in the walls, while the surrounding wall has recently been taken down due to the ongoing risks.
In front of the flats is a fenced-off area where yet another sinkhole has opened up, affecting the footpath and area behind it.
Resident Henry Waters, 43, a carpenter, is worried about walking around after dark as the concrete surface is so uneven and flats poorly lit.
He said: “I’ve lived here for 12 years, and the problem is getting worse, due to the lack of council investment into the real problem, which is water running underneath the flats and damaging the foundations.
“If nothing’s done soon, more damage is bound to happen. It’s disgusting, nobody around here feels safe anymore.”
Shirwan Saed, 39, is worried about the safety of his wife and small children.
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“My six-year-old son, Ara, used to ride his bike outside, we could see him from the window and thought he was safe but now there’s a large sinkhole with a safety barrier around it and it’s getting bigger every day. It’s just too risky to let him out to play any longer.”
The Sun has contacted Norwich City Council for comment.