I was alarmed to hear in the press about the giant hole appearing on Hutcliffe Wood Road on Sunday and I have contacted senior council officers and Labour’s cabinet member Terry Fox asking for an explanation of the cause and how long it will take to repair and reopen the road.

According to public comments and media reports the Council was apparently aware of the hole prior to the collapse as there were yellow markings around the edge of where the hole now is.

I am trying to determine if this is the case and, if so, when the council became aware of any potential issue and what action, if any, was being taken prior to the collapse.

It’s also concerning that as the local councillor I had to learn of this via the press and was not directly informed of this incident by the Council.

In the meantime the number 85 and 86 buses are running via Bocking Lane, Abbey Lane and Abbeydale Road in both directions while Hutcliffe Wood Road remains closed.

Businesses on Hutcliffe Wood Road also remain open.

I will keep residents informed of any further information I receive.

Richard Shaw