Surrey sinkhole probe delayed because area ‘not stable enough’, council says
The leader of Tandridge District Council, Catherine Sayer, said the area around the sinkhole was ‘not stable enough for borehole testing’.
The investigation into the cause of a massive sinkhole that swallowed large parts of the high street in a Surrey town has been delayed because the area is not deemed stable enough, a local councillor has said.
Residents from 30 properties were evacuated after a sinkhole appeared in Godstone last Monday night, closing roads and forcing traffic to be diverted.
A second sinkhole, thought to be linked, appeared in the front garden of a property on Tuesday afternoon.
Local authorities declared a major incident and investigations were thought to be under way to determine the cause of the collapse.
However, the operation by Surrey Highways had to be delayed until next week because the area is “not stable enough for borehole testing to be carried out”, Catherine Sayer, the leader of Tandridge District Council told the PA news agency on Sunday.
Ms Sayer said: “What I have seen is information that says the borehole testing is delayed, and they’re going to use less intrusive testing methods and survey methods.
“The less intrusive testing methods will be used first.”
One of the alternative methods that may be used is LiDar, a remote sensing technique that uses lasers to measure distances and create 3D maps, Ms Sayer added.
A source from Surrey County Council, whose highways department is responsible for the investigation, told the PA news agency: “We’re waiting for some specialist equipment to arrive on site to carry out further comprehensive assessment to ensure any stability and repair work is safe and designed properly.
