Growing sinkhole worrying Broseley residents who fear it approaching their homes
Residents in a Shropshire town are getting increasingly worried as a sinkhole outside their homes continues to grow.
Shropshire Council said on Wednesday that a three-metre deep hole had emerged in Park View, Broseley, but those living in the road say they first noticed it three weeks ago.
The hole was initially described as 'tiny', but has since got worse. According to council, the sinkhole now measures 4m x 2m across.
It has now been covered by boarding and surrounded by two-metre-high metal fencing, which is completely blocking the road, stopping cars and pedestrians from passing through.
Katrina Morris, has lived in Park View for the last 30 years. Her house is one of the closest to the sinkhole, and is "concerned" about the rate at which it is expanding.
She said: "When I first saw it was just a tiny little hole, but it has gotten bigger and bigger over the last few weeks.
"I am a bit concerned because we don't know what it is, and I keep thinking, is it going to come any closer to my garden.
"It seems as though the council don't know what it is or what to do about it. It is very worrying.
"Hopefully, they will get to the bottom of it and do something about it."
Other residents echoed Ms Morris' thoughts and called for more information to be provided by the authority.
Shakira, who lives with her husband Robert right by the sinkhole, said they both work full-time and encouraged the council to put something through their letterbox to keep them in the loop with what is happening.
She said: "We both work so we are out during the day.
"We have not really been told anything so we don't know what it is and when it is going to be repaired.
"Because we don't know what it is we are just carrying on as normal."
Sinkholes appear when the layer of rock underneath the ground is dissolved by water. As the rock dissolves, spaces develop underground, and this causes the land on the surface to collapse into the open area underneath.
Some sinkholes are created slowly, while others can suddenly appear.
This is not the first sinkhole in Shropshire in recent times, after a giant one opened up near the Shropshire/Welsh border in 2020.
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said highways bosses did not think the hole was likely to get any bigger.
They have not ruled out that it may be a shallow coal mine, but from their tests, they think it is more likely to be a groundwater problem.
Shropshire Council plans to excavate the site to see the extent of the damage before beginning repair works "as soon as possible".
No date has been given for when the work will be completed.
