Home / Disasters and Accidents / East Lancs Driveway Plunges into 100ft Sinkhole
East Lancs Driveway Plunges into 100ft Sinkhole
22 Dec
Summary
- A massive sinkhole appeared in Darwen, East Lancashire, in September 2025.
- The hole is estimated to be 100ft deep and linked to unrecorded mine shafts.
- Homeowners are still in temporary accommodation due to the collapse.
A substantial sinkhole that emerged on a driveway in East Lancashire in September 2025 is now the subject of permanent remediation plans submitted to the local council. The massive hole, located in Darwen on the Tilia Homes' Taylor's Green development, prompted the evacuation of six homes, with three households still displaced.
The Mining Remediation Authority estimates the sinkhole could reach 100ft (30m) in depth, attributing it to unrecorded former sandstone workings rather than coal mining. Following the collapse on September 21, 2025, which occurred after heavy rainfall, the void was temporarily filled with gravel by the MRA.
Plans now submitted involve drilling boreholes, extensive grouting, and hazardous gas monitoring, culminating in a reinforced concrete shaft cap. Local officials have expressed satisfaction that a resolution plan is moving forward, emphasizing the urgency to allow displaced families to return to their homes as soon as possible.
