A Giant Sinkhole In Surrey has caused chaos in Godstone, leaving many residents without water and forcing evacuations. Amidst the uncertainty, one couple has decided to return home and “see what happens,” despite the potential risks.
The sinkhole, which appeared suddenly on the high street, has led to a major incident declaration by Surrey County Council. Authorities have put a 100-meter cordon in place while utility companies and emergency services work to assess and repair the damage.
Giant Sinkhole In Surrey
On Monday night, residents of Godstone were shocked to discover a massive sinkhole had opened up on their high street. The unexpected event led to a swift response from local authorities, who evacuated several homes due to concerns about structural instability and the risk of a gas explosion.
Among those affected were Nicola and Damian Styles, who were forced to leave their home in the middle of the night. The couple was alerted by police officers knocking on their door, warning them about the potential danger.
“It was a shock,” said Mrs. Styles. “My sister lives in Purley, so we just drove there in the middle of the night.”
The couple, like many others, grabbed only essential belongings before leaving their home. Mr. Styles recounted the experience: “We just sort of grabbed everything, the clothes on our back and our work laptops, and drove out quickly. We didn’t know how long we were going to be out for.”
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Upon returning to their house on Tuesday afternoon to retrieve some items, the Styles decided to stay and wait for further updates. However, the uncertainty surrounding the situation has left them feeling uneasy. The sinkhole, which continues to expand, poses a significant risk to nearby structures, making the future of their home uncertain.
Lack of Communication and Uncertainty Among Residents
One of the most significant frustrations for residents has been the lack of clear communication from the authorities. Nicola Styles expressed her disappointment, stating, “No one’s organised the communications, or keeping the residents informed. They should have really given us a help desk number to call, or something.”
Many residents have resorted to social media to find updates, as there has been no official channel for consistent information. Mr. Styles explained that after evacuating, they were left wondering when it would be safe to return. “Because when we left last night, we were like, ‘how do we know when it’s safe to come back?’, and he (the police officer) said ‘you can check the socials’.”
A sinkhole opens up on a high street in Surrey, causing evacuations and closures ⬇️
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 18, 2025
It opened up after a water pipe burst, impacting supplies to nearby house 🔗 https://t.co/sqp6bPR0di pic.twitter.com/03sCO7U5au
Other residents, such as Alan and Tracey Jones, have also been affected by the sudden appearance of the sinkhole. The couple took in their daughter, her husband, and their baby girl after they were forced to evacuate their flat, which now stands on the edge of the expanding sinkhole.
“It’s an absolute nightmare. Dreadful,” said Mrs. Jones. “They arrived at midnight – the police started to evacuate because there was a fear of a gas explosion.”
Mr. Jones added, “It’s very concerning, and you know it’s a massive incident because of all the guys that are down here and all the utility companies are here.”
For many residents, the loss of running water has been one of the biggest inconveniences. SES Water confirmed that a burst water main was responsible for the outage, and bottled water was distributed to locals. However, residents are still struggling to cope with the disruption.
“That’s the worst thing, you know,” Mr. Jones said. “The daughter and her husband have gone down to a friend in Whyteleafe to have a shower. But we’ve got no information whatsoever. Nothing at all.”
Uncertain Future and Ongoing Repair Efforts
The situation in Godstone remains precarious, with many residents unsure of what will happen next. Kevin Boll, who lives on one end of High Street, described the chaotic scene he witnessed when the sinkhole first appeared.
“It was about quarter to midnight and we were all going to bed, and my stepdaughter was in the bathroom ready to shower and, literally, all the water went off: the shower, the toilet, and obviously the sink… All of a sudden. I realised there was a problem.”
Mr. Boll recalled how quickly emergency services arrived on the scene. “I came down and there were police here, there were fire engines… Within minutes, they were here and there was a dirty great big hole in the floor up there. Massive.”
The sheer size of the sinkhole has left many residents in disbelief. “No one has seen this coming. No one has seen this coming at all. Not this massive sinkhole, when there’s brand new flats just adjacent to it as well,” said Mr. Boll.
Authorities are working tirelessly to manage the crisis. Carl Bussey, Surrey County Council’s assistant director for Safer Communities and chairman of the Strategic Coordination Group for the incident, reassured residents that efforts are ongoing to resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible.
“We are working together with emergency services and utility companies, as well as our highways colleagues and Tandridge District Council, to protect the public and property in the area,” said Bussey.
“Investigations are continuing to make the area safe and to repair utilities, and we ask that people remain away from the vicinity while that important work is ongoing.”
Despite these reassurances, many residents remain frustrated by the lack of concrete information. Around 30 properties within the cordon are receiving support from Tandridge District Council regarding temporary accommodation. However, for residents like the Styles, who have chosen to stay, the uncertainty is a daily challenge.
“For the time being we’re just going to stay and see what happens,” said Mr. Styles. “We’re just kind of hoping that, if there is an emergency, they’re going to knock on the door and tell us ‘you’ve got to go’.”
The massive sinkhole in Godstone has upended the lives of its residents, leaving them in a state of limbo. While authorities continue to work on repairing the damage and ensuring public safety, the uncertainty surrounding the situation has left many feeling helpless. For now, the residents of Godstone can only wait and hope that a resolution comes sooner rather than later.
let’s enjoy few years on earth with peace and happiness….✍🏼🙏