IT’S been almost eight months since a ‘sink hole’ opened up on the edge of Link Top Common in Malvern causing misery for the residents living nearby – but it looks like Malvern Hills Trust and Severn Trent Water are working together to fix the problem.

The hole is at the top end of Moorlands Road alongside a footpath on the edge of the Common and Helen Milton, who lives close by, has been trying to get help to sort it out as the hole is just getting deeper and wider.

It was last October when Mrs Milton first alerted the authorities to the hole. Originally it had three barriers around it, and now there are ten, tall mesh ones. It is about two and a half metres long, two metres wide in one place and at least a metre deep.

Deborah Fox, Chief Executive Officer of Malvern Hills Trust said the Trust has now hand-delivered a letter to residents thanking them for their patience while the Trust fully investigated the condition of the broken pipe under green space nearby to their properties, prior to its repair.

The Trust has placed secure barriers around the ‘sink hole’ and battered back the banks to reduce the chance of collapse and are monitoring it on a regular basis.

Their recent camera investigation suggests there needs to be a repair along the full extent of the pipe under the Trust’s land.

The Trust does not believe it is their responsibility. However, it is committed to repairing the pipe and should the owner subsequently be found the Trust will seek to recover its costs in dealing with this breakage.

Severn Trent Water has also been doing its own investigation and the two organisations are working together to investigate the cause of the ‘sink hole’.

Jason Snow, Severn Trent Waste Lead, said: “We understand the impact that the sinkhole has had on the community, and we want to thank everyone for their patience while we carried out our investigations to determine if the sinkhole was linked to the Severn Trent network.

“We continue to work with the Malvern Hills Trust and will be on site from Thursday to install a manhole, which will mean the barriers around the sinkhole can be removed while investigations are ongoing, and we will get this completed as quickly as possible.”

Both organisations say they understand the impact this is having on the community and any further surveys will be done as quickly as possible, so any repair work can begin by the right organisation.

Mrs Milton said: “Let’s hope it can be concluded very soon.”