Sinkhole appears in Charvil car park

A large sinkhole has appeared overnight in a village car park in Charvil.

This morning (Monday) at approximately 10.30am, Charvil Parish Council issued a statement saying that the East Farm Car Park is closed until further notice.

Shortly after, Charvil resident and newly-appointed councillor Lee Cripps, took drone footage of the sinkhole to determine its size and depth.

His fellow councillors were there as well, performing an inspection of the area.  

They reported that the hole is ‘very deep,’ at approximately two metres, and that ‘ the edges are unsupported’ making the area 'susceptible to further collapse'.

Shortly afterwards, a security fence was installed around the hole with a ‘Danger unstable ground. Keep Out’ sign and the council issued a statement which said:

“In the interest of safety, please stay away from the sinkhole, and safety barriers, as the ground surrounding the hole remains unstable.

“We apologise for any inconvenience to users of our car park and facilities, and please be assured that we are working to get this rectified as quickly and safely as possible.”

The car park is a popular spot for residents who use the facility to access many of the village’s hubs and is used in particular by parents at drop-off and pick-up time at Charvil Piggott Primary School.

Chairman of Charvil Parish Council, Pat Sutlieff, issued a final safety message just two hours ago that said no cars will be permitted in the car park ‘until a safety check is done’ and asked that parents and pet owners prevent children and animals from crawling underneath the fencing.