Sinkhole repairs scheduled for later this year
Redcar and Cleveland Borough CouncilA large sinkhole linked to old mine workings will be repaired later this year, a councillor has said.
The hole was found on Eston Recreation Ground in December 2024 and was later cordoned off by Redcar and Cleveland Council for the public's safety.
Cabinet member for neighbourhoods Neil Bendelow and his ward colleague Sue Jeffrey said work was expected to start after the school summer holidays and should take about 10 weeks "so the area could reopen by the end of October".
The Labour-led council said scheduling the works outside the holiday would help minimise disruption and reduce the risks associated with children more likely to be playing nearby.
It previously said it hoped to restore the area to how it was before.
A spokesperson said: "The complex repair works require a specialist contractor and a full procurement process, and there is not sufficient time to complete this and undertake the works to the required standard before the summer holidays."
Last year, the local authority contracted specialist consultants at a cost of £30,000 to advise on how the risk of any further collapse could be prevented and to assess long-term measures which could be put in place.
A Facebook post from Bendelow and Jeffrey said the sinkhole had been identified as being above an old gypsum mine shaft, dating back to the 1860s.
It said: "As the ground around it isn't stable enough to cap it, a repair plan has been worked up with geotechnical engineers to fill and stabilise the shaft."
Eston Recreation Ground is in line for public realm improvements, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
These include new lighting, CCTV, footpaths, play equipment and landscaping, with designs and planning permission already agreed.
