Tunnel found under Godstone road collapse

An underground tunnel has been located eight metres underneath Godstone High Street, which collapsed in February this year.

As part of their borehole testing, Highways Officers used a manual camera to identify the void which will now be subject to specialist surveys from today, to establish its exact length and position, as well as its relevance to ongoing investigations and plans to repair the area.

Other investigations remain ongoing including those being carried out by SES Water into the pipe that originally burst.

Local residents and business owners are continuing to be updated regularly, with Highways Officers available on-site every day and at an in-person residents meeting this evening (Thursday 5 June 2025). 

Next steps will also include:

• Reconnecting utilities (gas, water, electricity and telecoms). In order to get residents back in their homes and businesses, temporary connections were put in place to ensure essential utility services could be provided. However, the main pipes and other infrastructure within the holes have been disconnected and will in the longer-term, need to be reconnected or rebuilt with new connections to properties put in place.  This isn’t a simple process and would usually take several months for a single utility company to plan, schedule and complete complex works of this kind. In the case of Godstone, there are multiple programmes of works to be carried out to restore utilities, before the road can be fully repaired, and the activities of the different companies will need to be carefully scheduled.  Individual utility companies will also need to source the required equipment and machinery to carry out their works.
• Designing how the area will be repaired – once investigations and surveys are completed, a clear plan for repair works, including sequencing for utility reconnections will be designed. The site will need to be cleared in preparation for this and Highways Officers will work with utility companies to temporarily disconnect services and carry out additional excavations to allow for the repair works.
• Repairing the area – the area affected by the collapse and the structure of the road will be fully reconstructed. Pavements will also be repaired and the road fully rebuilt. The team will continue to work with utility companies to allow permanent reconnections of services and finally clear the site to return the area to normal.  

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member Highways, Transport and Economic Growth at Surrey County Council, said, “This continues to be a highly complex incident involving a number of investigations led by our Highways Officers and other agencies, including specialist teams and utility companies.

“We are continuing to update local residents and businesses as we progress through each stage of the process. We’re also looking at how we can minimise the impact on local businesses while the necessary road closures are in place.

“Thorough investigations need to continue to understand the cause of the collapse and subsequentially how we fully and effectively repair the area. We hope to have the road re-opened during December this year, but our focus will be on ensuring the road is safe to use so the exact date will be confirmed once we are fully assured of this.”

For more information visit Surrey County Council’s website.

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