Severn Trent officials have apologised for the disruption which may lead to the full closure of Musters Road in West Bridgford. Some businesses say they’ve already suffered a loss of takings
11:04, 06 Jun 2026Updated 11:05, 06 Jun 2026
Roadworks are now ongoing in Musters Road to repair a sinkhole in West Bridgford(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
Some businesses in West Bridgford fear they may have to close due to the final losses incurred following disruption caused by a sinkhole.
Crews from Severn Trent Water were in Musters Road on Friday, June 5, working to repair a hole in the road.
The water company was first made aware of the sinkhole on Wednesday, June 3, by Nottinghamshire County Council, which was followed by assessments and repairs starting on Friday.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “Our teams have identified an issue with our sewer pipe that they are currently repairing, and to keep them and others safe as they work, two-way traffic lights will be in place.
“We’re sorry for the disruption this will cause as we know this is a busy, well used road, but the local community can be assured it is our priority to make the repairs and get everything back to normal as quickly and safely as possible.”
The Nottingham Post understands there have been talks of a full road closure if the damage continues to spread – and it comes at a precarious time for businesses which have already incurred a loss in takings due to the disruption.
Should that happen, Via East Midlands, the company providing highways services for Nottinghamshire County Council, will need to close the road at Severn Trent Water’s request.
Adele Kavanagh, manager of Mrs Bunns Cob Emporium, which is located opposite the sinkhole in Musters Road, said the works are having a “massive effect” on trade.
She said: “Last Friday alone was £400 down. And every day it’s a good £100-£150 at least. It’s having a massive effect on our business.
“Customers are commenting, saying there’s no parking, they’re worried about even coming in, because there’s nowhere to park and they don’t know how the traffic warden is going to react.
“We’ve had no communication from the council at all. If the road actually fully closes off, that could be the end of this business.
“It could be such a detriment. It could literally close the business full-time. This business has been here for over 20 years.”
The thoughts were echoed by Carley Milne-Taylor, who works at Gracie B Beauty & Hair Salon, also opposite the sinkhole.
Ms Milne-Taylor said: “If the road closed completely, it would impact us massively. We get a lot of customers as they just drive past us.
“But our regular clients might also be driven away due to parking or access concerns. I feel like Musters Road is a main route – people drive down here to go elsewhere so it would impact commuters as well.
“The people who live around here probably get quite annoyed as well.”
Andrew Sansome, a retiree who has lived in West Bridgford for more than 40 years, said his daughters would be affected on their commutes should a full road closure be put in place.
Mr Sansome, who lives in Priory Road, said: “There’s a bit of worry in terms of, if one sinkhole opened up here, are there going to be more in this area?
“I can imagine it’ll cause quite a lot of disruption especially during rush hour. It’ll affect lots of people, I would imagine.”
Raveena Padda, who has lived in Millicent Road her whole life, said she commuted to work every day and a road closure would impact her journey.
Ms Padda said: “It’s an inconvenience because I’ve got to plan my time ahead now where I need to go.
“And I also know with these type of things, they take so long to fix. It’s not a quick fix. I know in other countries it will be a lot quicker, but here, I don’t know why it takes so long.”
In a post on social media, Councillor Penny Gowland, who represents West Bridgford North for Labour on the county council, said: “We have another sinkhole. This one is on Musters Road. Cricket Ground end.
“Severn Trent are in charge but Via says there is a risk the whole road will have to be closed because of its position.
“The one on Trent Boulevard took at least a month to fix last summer as I recall. Whenever I am on this road I try to imagine it before cars.
“It would have been so large. I guess these drains were not designed to support cars so they have done well.”
On June 30 last year, a huge sinkhole appeared in Trent Boulevard in Lady Bay. Residents showed the hole to be around 1ft wide and it then expanded to encompass half of the road.
