For six long years, Kaushik Rampal, a resident of Bills Lane near the bustling Burman Road junction in Solihull, has endured a noisy ordeal caused by a faulty metal manhole cover. Every time a vehicle passes over it, a loud clunking sound echoes through his home, especially at night, robbing him of restful sleep.
“This has been an absolute nightmare for six years,” Kaushik explained. “The noise reverberates all around during the night, making it impossible to sleep. I’ve complained repeatedly, but nothing seemed to change.”
The problem worsened when recent attempts to fix the issue left large chunks of tarmac dumped outside his house, adding to his frustration. Kaushik described the persistent clunking as similar to “train tracks,” especially noticeable when emergency vehicles speed by.
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“The drain has sunk, and when workers applied tarmac as a temporary fix, it quickly wore away due to rain and snow,” he said. Over time, ownership confusion caused delays, but it has now been confirmed that Severn Trent Water (STW) is responsible.
Although STW fenced off the area with plans to repair it in early March, the problem remained unresolved until recently. Kaushik recounted how workers left tarmac debris nearby after the interim patchwork.
“I asked them to remove the loose tarmac blocks, but they just piled them to the side,” he said. “The noise continues nonstop, and all I want is a quiet night’s sleep.”
Severn Trent Water has issued an apology and assured the community that repair work will be completed this weekend. A spokesperson explained, “Heavy traffic over time loosened the cover, causing the disruptive noise. Our engineers applied temporary tarmac, but some motorists ignored road closures, forcing us to pause the work for safety.”
The spokesperson added, “We will return on Sunday, March 22, to complete a full and safe repair. Once finished, the road surface will be restored, and all leftover materials will be cleared away.”
Residents like Kaushik are hopeful that this long-awaited repair will finally bring peace back to Bills Lane and quiet nights to their homes.