Kentish Express Ashford & District
‘Sinkhole’ swallows up path in village
A huge ‘sinkhole’ has opened up in a village - and has been increasing in size for almost a month.
The large hole, which one resident estimated at 12 to 15ft deep, has been growing since appearing on Christmas Eve in Collett Close in Bodsham near Hastingleigh.
While originally thought to be a sinkhole, it has since transpired to be a collapsed cesspit of one of the adjoining houses.
One nearby homeowner, who lives in the village, told the Kentish Express this week how she is concerned about the hole.
“It’s been a month and they’re still umming and ahhing as to who’s going to pay or sort it out,” she said.
“It’s taken the hedge and the path - it’s horrendous.
“Three houses are connected, and this cesspit damage is blocking access to the further two houses.
“I don’t know how they’re accessing their homes to be honest.”
The resident noted this is the first mass subsidence she has seen since moving to the village.
A Kent County Council spokesman said the authority had received no reports of the hole and the landowner would be responsible.
In September, a massive sinkhole opened up in a Gravesend car park, causing a lorry driver to abandon his vehicle as it sunk into the earth.
Last month, The Cross Keys Pub in Oaten Hill, Canterbury, had to be sealed off when a 12ft wide crevice appeared in the floor.
The hole - thought to be more than 20ft deep - was found by maintenance workers in loos at the back of the Grade II-listed property.
As a result, owner Star Pubs and Bars, which is part of the Heineken group, has been forced to shut the business.
It is feared the pub - which is due to undergo a £650,000 refurbishment - could be closed for months.
It is a setback for Star Pubs and Bars, which has already commissioned architectural and interior designers to refurbish the property and create a boutique pub/hotel with six rooms.