Sinkhole repairs leave pub landlord frustrated

A landlord says a sinkhole on the main road outside his pub is hitting his trade as it prevents deliveries getting to him and costs him more money.

Ash Holman is the manager of the Boat and Horses in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and said he would typically receive a delivery from an articulated lorry once a week, carrying two tons of beer.

He said he did not know when regular deliveries would resume and it was affecting his business.

Staffordshire County Council said they tried to repair the road but the concrete used ended up in the sewer network and now Severn Trent Water have taken over the repair effort.

The issue had become a "logistical nightmare" trying to get stock delivered, Holman said.

"If you run out of Bass in here, people will scream at you a lot.

"Some of our suppliers have got smaller vans but, in some cases, they don't have those vehicles available which means I have to find more suppliers which sometimes means it's more expensive."

Having to swap suppliers meant he could not get all the products he needed, he added.

"It just turns into a pain trying to figure out what's coming from where and when it's going to get here".

When asked how trade was since the work started he said he had noticed a drop: "It's been noticeable with the lack of some of the regulars and faces you see every week and they've not been in because the roads been shut."

He only found out the road was being shut after a friend came into the pub with a letter they had received.

"There's been no communication with me, I've not even had a knock on the door, or anybody come in and ask questions about it, it's frustrating," Holman said.

"What was initially believed to be a small, localised defect is actually a significant void under the road surface," councillor Patrick Allen said.

A repair was attempted after being "assured" by Severn Trent Water but "as a result concrete had entered the sewers", he aded.

The road would remain closed until investigations and repairs were completed, Allen went on to say, but gave no timescale.

The BBC has sought further comment from the council about the lack of communication with the pub, despite its insistence that updates were provided via social media.

A spokesperson for Severn Trent Water said they officially took over the issue on Friday and were trying to complete work "as quickly as possible".

They would be also contacting any businesses affected by the site, they added, but stressed works were going to be "more complicated than usual" due to set concrete.

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