Burst water main adds to New Mills sinkhole misery

A burst water main has caused a main road into New Mills to close after what Derbyshire Police described as “several small sinkholes” appeared.

The force said Union Road Bridge is unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians and will be shut until further notice while United Utilities tackles the issue.  

Access to a footbridge that crosses the River Goyt in The Torrs Riverside Park below has also been cut off over safety concerns. 

Many residents in the town have been without water since the leak started, with local councillor New Mills and Hayfield, Anne Clarke, saying: “Sadly, there has been damage to the road and so there is no access for vehicles, or pedestrians over the bridge into the town centre. The footpath under Union Bridge has also been closed. 

“211 households have had water restored, but due to a secondary problem which has impacted valves in the area, a much larger number of households than had been expected remain without water.  

“Engineers are currently working on this to restore the supply as soon as possible.” 

The United Utilities website shows that there are two unresolved issues in New Mills town centre with no estimated time frame on a fix. 

Another larger sinkhole appeared last month in New Mills, disrupting traffic heading to and from Hayfield. Repairs on that are expected to last into September.