Sinkhole work nears completion but no opening set

Resurfacing work on a road which has been closed by a sinkhole for over a year will be "substantially completed" on Friday, but an opening date is yet to be set.

Godstone High Street has been closed since February 2025, when the sinkhole opened in the road forcing nearby homes to be evacuated.

A reopening date would depend on outstanding works by SES Water, which the water company said it planned to complete by 30 July "with an opportunity to bring this forward".

Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council cabinet member for transport, said: "Fundamentally, our focus has always been on getting this right to ensure the area is safe and stable for local people, and those travelling through the area."

A Surrey County Council spokesperson added final work on the surrounding pavement would be finished by Wednesday.

SES Water said its works had faced "significant technical challenges" as a result of recent heatwaves and "issues with other utilities' pipework".

The sinkhole, which first opened on the evening of 17 February, 2025, had grown to nearly 20m (65ft) by the following lunchtime.

It was initially hoped that work to repair the sinkhole would be complete in December 2025, but delays have continued into the middle of 2026.

As of January, the cost of repairing the sinkhole had risen to £2.3m, and was expected to eclipse £3m by the end of the project.

A council spokesperson said in June that it expected to complete its work in the week beginning 29 June, meaning a full reopening of the road could be scheduled for "early July".

SES Water is currently working on reinstating damaged water pipes beneath the road.

Businesses near the sinkhole have since requested additional business rate relief, with fears raised by MP Claire Coutinho that the full rate would kick back in "the moment the road reopens".

The road was initially planned to be reopened under temporary traffic lights while SES Water completed its final works, but the water company said this would not now happen, citing safety reasons.

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