Locals say the problem has escalated in recent weeks, with fears of further collapse if action is not taken
Concerns over the state of Malden Road in Cheltenham have sparked calls for action from Severn Trent Water.
The residential road is in a poor state of repair, but Gloucestershire County Council says it is reluctant to resurface it until the collapsed pipes underneath it are fixed.
Julian Tooke, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Pittville, is calling for action from the utility company.
He says “residents have a right to live on streets which are not cratered. My very straightforward ask of Severn Trent is that they meet their responsibility to check, and if necessary, repair their infrastructure so that the Highways department can get on with the job of repairing the road surface.”
He also said to Gloucestershire Live, “it would be pointless for Gloucestershire Highways to resurface the road before the pipes have been fixed.”
Severn Trent is aware of the issue but says it needs to conduct further investigations to understand the cause of the problem.
“We’ve been to the Malden Road to carry out investigations, but we will be returning to do additional surveys with the council to help understand the cause of the issues,” a Severn Trent spokesperson said.
Park Life went to visit the street and saw that the road is uneven and visibly sunk.
Using a bottle, it was clear the damage was large. As the bottle rolled straight into the dip from the other side of the road.
The concern is that water leakage or soil erosion beneath the road has created voids, causing the surface above to sink, which, over time, could lead to a sink hole.
