The council has confirmed that an Aberystwyth sinkhole is due to be fixed this week, as another one is left wide open five years on.

A sinkhole appeared at the beginning of June next to Tanybwlch beach car park.

After blocking off the road to the car park, the council quickly set about fixing the hole, located across the bridge to the beach car park.

One month later, Ceredigion County Council confirmed that the work is set to be completed this week.

Work is currently taking place to repair the new sinkhole
Work is currently taking place to repair the new sinkhole (Cambrian News)

However residents are now questioning why another Tanybwlch sinkhole, which first appeared in 2020, has been left to widen over the last five years.

The Cambrian News asked Ceredigion County Council whether both holes would be fixed at the same time.

SInkhole
The sinkhole has appeared near the bridge over the river Rheidol (Cambrian News)

In response, a spokesperson said: “Emergency works to repair the sinkhole which appeared adjacent to the bridge are due to be completed on the week commencing 30 June.

“Options relating to potential repair solutions for the sinkhole upstream of the bridge are being considered, and suitable funding streams investigated.”

In April 2023 the council placed bags of stones to stabilise the wall next to the widening sinkhole which first appeared in 2020 - these photos show the deterioration of the bags in December 2023
In April 2023 the council placed bags of stones to stabilise the wall next to the widening sinkhole which first appeared in 2020 - these photos show the deterioration of the bags in December 2023 (Submitted anonymously)

In 2020, a sinkhole appeared on the riverside of the Tanybwlch car park growing steadily larger, with further holes opening up around it, calling into question the safety of the surface.

A temporary fix was made by the county council dumping large bags of stones to reinforce the wall.

According to residents, these plastic sacks were left to erode and wash into the sea.

A resident who did not want to be named said: “Nothing has been done about the tiny hole - it's now worsening with every storm and is probably now a multi-million pound fix.

“The new hole seems to have been repaired properly, as opposed to with white dumpy bags.

“While the contractors are there, why aren’t they tackling the other hole?

“It would bring back Tanybwlch beach, enjoyed by hundreds of locals and tourists each year, teeming with nature.

“It is, of course, also the route of the main coastal path.

“Where has the money suddenly appeared from to repair the new sink hole, and why has the other hole just been left?

“If only the original riverside hole had been fixed as quickly as this one is being done – it would have made a huge amount of difference to the erosion we are now seeing.”

This is the current state of the 2020 sinkhole - photo taken in June 2025
This is the current state of the 2020 sinkhole - photo taken in June 2025 (Submitted anonymously)

Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake has also raised his concerns over the lack of attention paid to the original sinkhole, writing in a letter to a resident that he would raise these concerns with the council, adding: “It saddens me to see the wall in such a state: my Father used to take me often to Tanybwlch as a child, and so I appreciate just how important the spot is to local residents and visitors alike.

“As you note in your email, most people appreciate that a permanent resolution will likely cost a significant sum of money.

“Nevertheless, it must be possible to implement a more robust temporary measure than the one currently attempted.”