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
let alone the damage it could be doing to my car.”
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.”
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
as well as subsidence on surrounding roads and properties
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.”
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
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
two houses had to be demolished due to a huge sinkhole appearing outside their front doors
and I don’t think the council is doing enough.”
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
Just a short distance away is Lionwood Road
she’s noticed an area at the end of the road has been fenced off
“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
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
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
is worried about walking around after dark as the concrete surface is so uneven and flats poorly lit
due to the lack of council investment into the real problem
which is water running underneath the flats and damaging the foundations
is worried about the safety of his wife and small children
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
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Rayogreatest hitsnorfolknewsLidl unveils plans for 21 new stores across Norfolk and SuffolkIt's part of plans from the supermarket giant to build 1,000 new stores across the UK over the coming years
Lidl has unveiled plans to build 21 new stores across Norfolk and Suffolk and to relocate a further six
The UK's sixth largest supermarket has released a list of locations it wants to build new outlets
ahead of buying up land and applying to local councils for planning permission
It wants to build over 1,000 new stores across the UK in the coming years
commented: “The last few years have been challenging for everyone
but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store."
"That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure
while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country
“We had over 1.4 million new shoppers coming to us from our competitors over the course of last year
"This alone shows the potential for continued growth as customers refuse to pay a premium for their shopping
we know that more shoppers will make the switch
they know they’re getting the best value.”
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