Sinkhole repair costs hit £2.3m nearly one year on

Repair works to a sinkhole which has closed a Surrey high street for nearly a year have cost the county council more than £2.3m.

A giant sinkhole opened in Godstone high street on 17 February, 2025, forcing the road to close with works not set to be completed until the spring, according to Surrey County Council.

A spokesperson for the county council said the final total for the works was expected to hit £3m.

Jenny, who lives nearby, told the BBC: "This impacts everyone's daily lives. Since a footpath has been cut off it makes it difficult to reach people and simple things like going to the doctors can often feel impossible."

Carol Ward, who lives near the High Street works, added: "I've seen first hand the affect it has had on people - it has been absolutely catastrophic."

Statistics released by the council show the bill for works to the sinkhole stood at £2,356,216.61 as of 28 January - an average spend of £214,201.51 per month over 11 months.

Of this total, about £2.17m has been spent on building costs, with about a further £190,000 spent on "professional services" and other costs incurred by the council.

Thirty families had to be evacuated from their homes when the 65ft (20m) sinkhole first opened, with businesses in the town also affected.

Mark Cullinan, landlord of The Hare and Hounds pub in Godstone, told the BBC the amount of money to repair the road was "unthinkable".

A spokesperson for Surrey County Council said: "Due to the increased works required to tackle the tunnel network, our current expectation is that the road will be re-opened in the Spring.

"We remain hugely sympathetic to the disruption being experienced by some residents and businesses in Godstone and are working hard to get the road safely open as soon as possible.

"We will continue to keep them updated throughout the programme of works and thank them for their continued patience while we make the area safe."

A public meeting in January organised by East Surrey MP Claire Coutinho, was told that "compacting grout", a concrete-like substance, is still being injected into areas of the sinkhole to shore it up, with more than 600 tonnes used so far.

On Friday, SES Water said it would be starting new work on Monday to connect existing mains supplies and "reduce the number of water mains running along the High Street".

A spokesperson for Tandridge District Council said: "We fully recognise the impact the prolonged closure of Godstone Hight Street has had on residents and business.

"We know it has been a very difficult time and we look forward to the high street reopening."

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