Rossendale sewer collapse causes concern, with sinkhole appearing
The sinkhole opened up on Stubbylee Lane in Bacup, near to its junction with New Line.
A sewer has collapsed near a park entrance in Bacup, causing a sinkhole.
The sinkhole opened up on Stubbylee Lane in Bacup, near to its junction with New Line.
The lane is regularly used to access the adjacent Stubbylee Park, as well as farms further up the track.
Councillor James Eaton of Bacup, Labour, raised concern about the hole, which he described as being ‘two feet deep and two feet across’.
A repair has since been made to the sinkhole by United Utilities last week, which said it was caused by a ‘collapsed sewer’ – but a full repair to the sewer is yet to be made.
Speaking when the hole first opened, Coun Eaton raised concern about larger vehicles using the lane.
He said: “There are properties further up the lane, one or two houses need big deliveries but wagons would not be able to get up there.”
Coun Eaton added it looked as if it could collapse further, saying it needed addressing ‘sooner rather than later’.
He added he used the park twice daily to walk his dogs and other people do the same, calling the sinkhole ‘very dangerous’.
A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said while the sinkhole was open: “We are aware of the sinkhole on Stubbylee Lane and have put temporary safety measures in place.
“We are carrying out further investigations to establish the cause. We are also liaising with United Utilities as part of this work.”
But Coun Eaton said on Friday the hole had been filled in.
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “A small sinkhole opened up on Stubbylee Lane and our teams have attended the site to make it safe. The hole was caused by a collapsed sewer.
“We have put temporary measures in place and are now making plans to repair the sewer as soon as possible.”