A sinkhole which opened up just yards from new homes has grown so much that it has been fenced off not once but twice.

Two sets of barriers have been put up around the void at developer Crest Nicholson’s Lyewood estate in Boughton Monchelsea.

The hole, which some residents assumed would be a pond, measured about 8ft by 5ft at the time of writing.

It first appeared earlier this month and a fence was put around it but just over a week later a larger area had to be cordoned off as the gap widened.

Its appearance has concerned people living in the area.

Resident Sam Murdoch said: “The area where the sinkhole is now was meant to be a duck pond. When we moved in they then said it was going to be a water ‘run off’ area, to essentially stop the estate from flooding.

“We haven’t heard anything about the sinkhole – and they haven’t spoken to us at all.

“I’m more worried that they haven’t come and told us. That means they don’t know what it is or what the impact of it could be.”

Mr Murdoch, who lives with his partner, his 18-month-old son and their dog, said he feared for his own home.

“I have to say I am concerned with the fact that if there can be a hole there, there can be a hole here at my property,” he said.

“If it has been two weeks, how do they not know what it is yet?”

Another homeowner, Mary Edwards, has been living on the estate for just over a year.

She said: “Well it was a little hole, now it’s a big one!

“When we bought the property, they showed us plans for a lovely pond nearby and nature reserve – that’s never going to happen.

“I don’t think a lot is going to be done to it at the moment. I believe the sinkhole needs to settle for a certain amount of time.”

She joked that next time someone visits, they might just be able to see their roof.

It appears work to fill the hole will not happen until 2023.

A Crest Nicholson spokesman said: “The safety of residents is our number one priority and we acted swiftly to assess any risks and close off the area when the sinkhole appeared.

“We are working closely with the relevant experts to investigate and put a remediation plan in place, in the meantime a wider area surrounding the sinkhole remains closed as a further precaution.

“We aim to start remediation works as soon as practicable within the New Year and appreciate everyone’s patience while our investigations are ongoing.”