Disruption as sinkhole causes Tredegar road to be blocked off

A large sinkhole has opened up on a Welsh street. The hole was first spotted by local resident Malcolm Williams at Charles Street, Tredegar , on Saturday afternoon. The 37-year-old said he inspected the area after he drove over it and felt a bump. Blaenau Gwent council confirmed the hole is around two-and-a-half metres deep and four metres wide. Malcolm told WalesOnline: “It happened outside my house, just across the road. I was taking my mother to my sister’s for a visit and I actually hit the hole. “I work in construction and on my way home I went to investigate it a bit further and I realised what it was and I contacted the local authorities. “When you look at it, it’s probably an [eight inch] diameter entrance." Malcolm said he felt grateful about how quickly the authorities responded to his report. He said: "I contacted the police and they sent me a link so I could video call them to show them where it is and the diameter and fair play within minutes there were three police cars there to block off the area. “Then the two local councillors turned up and contacted Welsh Water alongside the police calling the council. Within 40 minutes the council and Welsh Water were out. “First Welsh Water were out to have a look at it, but they couldn’t find any issues with the water mains. Then the council took over to open it up and inspect it. There’s a culvert right next to it and they were looking to see if the culvert had caused the issue. That was yesterday morning.” Describing how the scene looks on Tuesday, Malcolm said more fencing has been erected, while footage from his doorbell camera shows workers on site. Malcolm said he is worried about the possibility of another sinkhole appearing near his home. “I’m hoping I get some sort of letter informing me of what happened and what they’ve done to it, because there’s a culvert running past my house,” he said. “We knew the risks when we bought the house. The culvert is the same distance from the front of my house as it is the side of my house, so although it’s not under me, it is around me. Obviously hearing about the sinkholes we’ve had recently in south Wales, it’s a bit of a concern.” A spokesman for Blaenau Gwent council said: “We responded promptly to reports of a sinkhole on Sycamore Avenue, Tredegar, on Saturday, immediately securing the area and closing the road. The sinkhole is approximately two-and-a-half metres deep and four metres wide. “We were back on site first thing on Monday, June 1, together with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA), to start investigations into the potential cause of the sinkhole. A water culvert was inspected and found to be unaffected. Today, Wales and West Utilities are also attending site, after which the hole will be filled. At this time, no cause has been confirmed so investigations will continue over the course of the next week. The MRA are due back on site next week to investigate further. “The safety of residents and the wider public remains our top priority, and we will continue to respond accordingly as the investigations and ground works progress. The road currently remains closed with a short diversion in place. We will update on this as more information becomes available.” Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice