Hertfordshire County Council has repaired a hole that appeared in a St Albans pavement, one year after it opened up in New Greens.

The hole, situated near shops at High Oaks, was fixed this week but a question remains over who owns the pit.

A drainage cover had been removed from the site in April 2023 following damage, the cause of which is unknown.

Herts Advertiser: Earlier this week, St Albans residents marked the birthday of the hole.Earlier this week, St Albans residents marked the birthday of the hole. (Image: Damian Gaskin)

In an attempt to make the area safe, Hertfordshire County Council had placed a wheelie bin in the hole and erected plastic barriers around the location.

Despite not knowing who owns the pit, the local authority took the decision to repair it anyway and charge the owner at a later date.

Herts Advertiser: A wheelie bin and plastic barriers had been put in place.A wheelie bin and plastic barriers had been put in place. (Image: Damian Gaskin)

A spokesperson for the local authority said earlier this week: "We understand residents’ frustration with the length of time it has taken to fix this broken drainage cover.

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"Unfortunately we haven’t been able to identify who owns it, and therefore who is responsible for repairing it.

"It doesn’t appear to part of the county council’s drainage system, or belong to Thames Water.

Herts Advertiser: The repaired hole in New Greens, St Albans.The repaired hole in New Greens, St Albans. (Image: Simon Grover)

"To avoid further delays we have decided to repair the cover ourselves and recharge the owner once we have identified who that is.”

Herts Advertiser: A mystery remains over who owns the hole.A mystery remains over who owns the hole. (Image: Hertfordshire County Council)