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'Noisy' manhole to be fixed after months of waiting

Matt WeigoldDerby
A clattering sound can be heard as vehicles pass over a square-shaped manhole cover in Shirebrook

A woman's "nightmare" of living next to a "loose, noisy manhole cover" might be over after her water company promised to fix the problem.

Renata Czyz, whose flat backs on to Ashbourne Street in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, said she had been unable to sleep or open her windows during the heatwaves due to traffic clattering over a square-shaped manhole.

Derbyshire County Council said inspectors reported the defect to Severn Trent "several months ago".

Severn Trent said its teams would be carrying out a repair on Tuesday under a full road closure.

A woman in a navy hoodie with black hair is stood by a crossroads. In the middle of the crossroads is a manhole with a blue cross spray painted on it.
Renata Czyz said she had been kept awake at night due to the noise from the metal-covered manhole

Czyz, who has lived in Shirebrook for 11 years, wakes up at 04:00 BST each weekday to start work at a Sports Direct warehouse.

She spoke to the BBC through her friend and interpreter, Martyna Kielb.

"It's really loud and it's dangerous," she said through Kielb.

"I've not been able to sleep for the past three months. I've had to take some time off work because of the noise and the lack of sleep.

"I've got to wait until about 12 or 1 o'clock at night because of the noise, that's when it calms down and it's a bit quieter," she added.

Czyz explained that she suffers from high blood pressure and the stress caused by months of noise pollution has not helped her condition.

"It's not good for my mental or physical health. I'm thinking about moving because it's impacting me so much," she added.

A crossroads with a row of bungalows. Three cars are on the road. In the middle of the crossroads is a manhole with a blue cross spray painted on it.
Charles Lee, who lives in a nearby bungalow, described the manhole, which has a blue cross on it, as "very, very dangerous"

The manhole sits in the middle of a crossroads with Station Road, where there is a row of bungalows even closer to the manhole than Czyz's flat.

Charles Lee lives in one of the bungalows and described the manhole as "very, very dangerous".

"It's rattling about when traffic's passing over it - buses, lorries, cars - one day that's going to collapse and somebody's going to go down it," said Lee.

Derbyshire County Council suggested that the blue cross spray painted on the manhole "indicates Severn Trent has inspected it".

Lee described the water company as "very lackadaisical" because of the months residents have waited for the problem to be fixed.

"If it doesn't affect them, they're not really interested," he added.

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We're sorry for the disruption being caused by a faulty manhole cover on Ashbourne Street/Market Street.

"Our teams will be carrying out a repair tonight, and while we do so, we'll be working under a full road closure for the safety of our workers and the public.

"The road will be reopened again in the early hours of the morning," they added.

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