‘WE WILL NOT BE SUNK’
Neighbours left in limbo for two years by sinkhole dispute take battle to have it repaired to TV
FED-UP families say their home life has been ‘ruined’ by a giant sinkhole that has blocked off the only road onto their estate for more than two years.
The closure of Boatman Drive, in Etruria, has left 50 residents competing for five parking spaces in nearby Etruscan Street.
Residents now want the road repaired so emergency service vehicles can access their streets, delivery vehicles can park outside their homes and they can use their drives and garages.
The city council, developer Redrow and Severn Trent remain in dispute over the four-foot chasm. Now the families will appear on Rip Off Britain on BBC1 today at 9.15pm.
Sridhar Madadi says he has been unable to sell his home due to the sinkhole. The 48-year-old, of Waterlily Close, said: “I’m worried about what would happen in a fire or emergency.
“An ambulance was called here due to a resident having a heart attack and crews had to park at the road closure and run across the road with a stretcher to find the property as they can’t drive on to the estate.
“They had to push the stretcher all around the road, there’s no privacy for the patient out in the street.
“An ambulance parking bay has been put on Etruscan Street, but the paramedics don’t know about it. I’m worried every day that there could be an incident in our street and the emergency services can’t access residents in time.”
Mr Madadi says delivery workers have refused to deliver heavy objects, adding: “In lockdown we would struggle to get food deliveries as they couldn’t find anywhere to park and by the time it reached your doorstep it would be cold.”
Despite starting a new job in Manchester, Mr Madadi says he cannot move because the sinkhole has rendered his house unsellable. “Our house prices have dropped and so has the rental value due to their being no car park spaces,” he said.
“We have no peace of mind and we’re scared. We don’t know what we are living on top off or what is going to happen. It’s affecting all of our lives, our lives are in tatters.”
Carol Vince has fibromyalgia, spondylosis, osteoarthritis and diabetes, but has to park on Etruscan Street due to the road closure. The 66-year-old, of Waterlily Close, said: “When we moved here we had to park the removal van on the main road and carry everything over. I sometimes use a walking stick, but if we go shopping we have to carry it from the car to our street, it’s a nightmare.”
Rihanna Amjad, aged 37, also of Waterlily Close, said the hole is continuing to sink. “There’s even a tree growing out of it,” she said.“we feel abandoned by the council, they don’t tell us anything.”