NEWS: Rattling manhole cover causes sleepless nights

A frustrated resident says he is desperate for a rattling noisy manhole cover that has been causing him sleepless nights for six years to finally be fixed. 

Frustated Kaushik Rampal lives on Bills Lane near the busy junction with Burman Road where the metal manhole cover is continually making a clunking noise as cars run over it. 

And to add to the irritation large pieces of tarmac from the manhole cover have been left dumped outside his home following the last attempt to fix it. 

Severn Trent Water (STW) has apologised and promised the issue will be fixed this weekend.

On Thursday, (March 19), the resident said “It’s been an absolute nightmare, this issue has been going on for six years.

“The sound especially at night it echoes all around.

“I’ve been complaining constantly about it, no one ever seems to do anything.”

The resident said the loud banging sound goes on at all times including into the early hours of the morning, particularly when a vehicle picks up speed such as an ambulance or police car.

“The drain has dropped,” he said.

“Workers have come out put tarmac on it and left it – but when it rains and snows that fades away.”

The exasperated resident said there had been confusion over the years who was responsible but it had been established it was STW. The resident received a letter from them work would take place to fix it in early March but after fencing was put around it was still not fixed. 

“The week before they did an interim job, the blocks of tarmac were coming out,” the resident said.

“I told the guys doing it can you take it away, they just chucked it by the side.

“It’s like a train track noise, constantly.

“I just want it fixed and to have a good night’s sleep.”

A STW spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to Mr Rampal and other residents on Bills Lane for the disturbance caused by the loose cover, that’s caused by heavy traffic over time.

“Our engineers attended to carry out repairs and laid temporary tarmac to stop the noise but work had to be paused for safety because some motorists were ignoring the road closure and driving behind the safety barriers.

“We will be returning on Sunday (March 22) to complete the full repair safely, after which the road surface will be reinstated and the area returned to normal.”

The spokesperson added all tarmac would be collected once the work had been completed.