Calls to fix 'dangerous sinkhole' on Hastings road

Annie Carey said the ongoing problems with the section of Hughenden Road in Ore have been going on since last year.

She said a team from Southern Testing turned up to test the water content of the soil last year to see why the road kept sinking.

Annie said the recent problem started this month after the road was dug up to lay cables for upgrades.

She said: “The very spot that had been deemed unsafe was used for the temporary traffic lights and all manner of heavy goods vehicles, buses and other traffic from both sides had to pass over the hole, and straight away the road started to show visible signs of change.”

She said she contacted the East Sussex Highways and the council on July 6, an engineer came out and told her the road needed to be closed as ‘sinkhole was evident’.

She added she called the highways department again a few days later and the section of road was covered with a plastic barricade.

Annie added the day after she contacted highways, a team arrived and covered the area with tarmac.

She said: “Since then, the traffic and rain has caused the road and the tarmac to dip and become noticeably more unstable. I phoned highways on Monday (July 24). Another employee attended and stated his concern after measuring the road and being shocked at how much it had deteriorated, said it was in need of immediate road closure.”

She said since Monday the patch of road has dipped further, and as of Wednesday (July 26), buses and heavy vehicles are ‘still passing over what has been deemed a dangerous sinkhole’.

Annie said: “I have repeated time and again that the factors coming into play at that spot are not being taken seriously at all. There was an underwater sewer leakage that had raw sewage spewing onto the pavement in Hughenden Road and was left for months, despite numerous phone calls.

“Then the underground was weakened with month-long works underground under the Ore bridge, which has left some homes with cracks on the outside, then the road further weakened with ground works, all at a junction that has already been deemed to be a danger.

“This is a clear example of our safety being usurped by profits and business and it has to stop. It seems clear to me the logistics of getting the road closed are too much for them to handle so they have just left it and hoped for the best. Meanwhile the residents are all furious and hoping something is done soon.”

An East Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “We apologise for any confusion that may have been caused, but while there has been some subsidence of the road surface in Ore Valley Road there are no immediate safety concerns.

“We will carry out interim repairs within 28 days, but it’s important that we fully investigate what is causing the issue to ensure we carry out the most appropriate permanent repairs. We will continue to monitor the road while we carry out our investigations.”