More water leaks close to collapsed A226 Galley Hill Road, between Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet Football Club

Residents are worried it is only a matter of time before another road collapses following a number of water leaks close to the site of a major road landslide.

New leaks have appeared less than a mile away from where the cliff subsided in Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe eight weeks ago.

Three leaks have already been spotted within a one mile radius of the Swanscombe road which crumbled due to a suspected burst water pipe at the beginning of April.

And according to one resident the road also appeared to be breaking up close to a leak near the junction of Craylands Lane and London Road.

Bridget Metcalf, who lives in Broomfield Road, in Swanscombe, is worried another road collapse could be imminent.

mpu1

“The road is starting to break up,” she said. “It’s been leaking for months and months. Water leaking for such long periods of time can cause massive damage.”

Utta Mikkelborg, who lives in nearby Ingress Park in Greenhithe, said: “If the road keeps crashing, Ingress Park is going to be isolated and we’ll all need a helicopter to get home.

“The whole of London Road will soon be flooded away.”

A few metres down the road there was also a leak in Cresewell Road, off Craylands Lane, at the end of last month.

While less than a mile away, on the other side of Greenhithe, water has also been spotted flowing down Mounts Road between Alkerden Lane and St Clements Way for the last four days.

Resident Peter White said: “I dread to think how much clean water is being wasted with multiple leaks around Greenhithe alone.”

He added: “Water has been flowing down Mounts Road for several days now. Thames Water had a van there yesterday but it is still leaking today.”

A Thames Water spokesman said they had received reports of the leaks in London Road and Mounts Road yesterday (June 13) and are working to repair them as quickly as possible.

mpu2

“Our teams attended the same day to carry out investigations. Due to the location of the leak, this repair requires attendance out of hours to minimise disruption to local residents,” she said.

“Arrangements are currently being made to carry out this work, which is expected to be completed in the next 48 hours.”

Work is also due to take place on the leak in Creswell Road.

The spokesman added: “Our engineers investigated on the same day and found a broken water main pipe. Due to the location and complexity of the work, more time is needed to carry out the repair.”

The spokesman said they are mindful of stopping leaks as soon as possible during the current hot weather spell.

“We are repairing over 1,300 leaks per week – that’s one leak every 7.5 minutes – whether visible or hidden below ground.

“We prioritise repair work to ensure we focus on the bigger leaks first and importantly those affecting service to customers.

“Demand for water has increased with the recent warm weather and whilst resources are strong, we continue to communicate to our customers the importance of using water wisely via marketing campaigns, media relations and social media.”

The collapse of the road between Swanscombe High Street and Ebbsfleet Football Club on April 10 was thought to have been triggered after a large 150mm mains pipe burst, sending hundreds of tons of rock and debris onto the industrial estate below.

Kent County Council still do not know what caused it or when the road will reopen.