Reappearing Hoghton sinkhole has villagers scared to cross the road

Village residents just can't shake off that sinking feeling which is making their lives a misery.
The gaping sink hole on Private Road, HoghtonThe gaping sink hole on Private Road, Hoghton
The gaping sink hole on Private Road, Hoghton

Folk in and around Private Road in Hoghton are getting fed up with a reappearing sinkhole in the road.

Some are so scared, though, they won't drive along the road - or even walk their dogs near it for fear of it collapsing.

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Resident Mike Graham said there had been three months of "constant issues" and that the road was closed again this week as Lancashire County Council carried out resurfacing work.

Work taking place on the roadWork taking place on the road
Work taking place on the road

He said the road closures result in a detour of around a mile-and-a-half for residents who are at their wits end. And he complained that they are causing disruption to deliveries to people's homes.

Mr Graham said he believed the problem centred around a culvert and called on both United Utilities and Lancashire County Council to sort the problem out.

He said he believed it needed "a major overhaul, a proper job" instead of just being patched up.

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Mr Graham told the Post: "The latest repairs a matter of days ago are already falling apart and cars have been grounding on the Tarmac.

A dog walker passes byA dog walker passes by
A dog walker passes by

"Some residents are afraid to drive over the road in case their cars are damaged, or the weight of their vehicles cause the road to suddenly subside.

"It's a dog walking route, but some people won't even walk across the road because they don't feel safe."

He added: "Some of the drivers have been removing some of the barriers and driving round.

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"It's just a pain in the backside for local residents who have to take a back route."

Mike Graham, right, with Steve Williams at the site of the sinkhole in Private Road, HoghtonMike Graham, right, with Steve Williams at the site of the sinkhole in Private Road, Hoghton
Mike Graham, right, with Steve Williams at the site of the sinkhole in Private Road, Hoghton

He continued: "We call upon Lancashire Council Council to have joined up discussions with United Utilities and resolve the problem permanently.

"The road needs a proper retaining wall and completely relaying.

"We are at our wits end and someone in authority needs to take action."

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Lancashire County Council said it had a team on site today (Wednesday) surveying the culvert, but that some excavations were needed to find the cause of the problem.

Rob Wilson, area highways manager for Lancashire County Council, said: "A sinkhole developed on Private Road last year, which was caused by the ground beneath the road being washed away due to a leak on the mains water supply.

"This was repaired by United Utilities and appeared to have solved the problem, however further subsidence of the road has been noted following the recent storms and we will therefore need to investigate the cause.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience caused by the closure and the need for the diversion, however this is necessary for everyone's safety until the cause and extent of the subsidence can be confirmed."

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A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We have repaired three leaks on Private Road since November last year. Checks our engineers have carried out today (Wednesday) indicate there are currently no issues with our water mains network in the area. However, we are aware of ongoing concerns about the condition of part of the road which we are due to inspect.”