Retaining wall is a disgrace and a risk to pedestrians

10:02am Friday 13th June 2008

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By Richard Vernalls »

A CRUMBLING retaining wall which has been fenced off for the past nine months has been branded "the disgrace of London Road" by fed-up residents.

A 150ft (45-metre) stretch of wall in London Road, Worcester, was fenced off in September last year after it became clear the brick structure had recently shifted, posing a risk to pedestrians.

However, because it is not clear who owns the wall, it has been left cordoned off and a 20ft section of the wall, near the St Catherine's Hill junction, is visibly cracked and bellying out towards the pavement.

Nigel Cooper, of St Catherine's Hill, said: "It is such a mess, the obstruction it causes on a busy road near a bus stop and right by a road junction." Pedestrians are forced to divert around the fencing and into the street, or cross the road to the opposite pavement.

David Dey, who has lived in the road for 25 years, said: "It doesn't affect us but for people using the footpath it must be a problem because it is at a junction and it's narrowed the road."

Mr Dey and Mr Cooper were among residents who received a letter from Worcestershire County Council more than a year ago querying who owned the wall and asking for repairs to be carried out immediately.However, homeowners were able to consult their deeds which showed the wall was never in their ownership.

Mr Cooper said: "They wanted us to carry out a repair, advised us to get a structural engineer and asked to confirm what action we had taken within 28 days of receiving the letter."

Homeowners including Mr Cooper and the Diocese of Worcester's surveyor Mark Wild, on behalf of St Martin's Church in London Road, wrote back to the county council explaining their deeds showed the wall had never belonged to them.

Mr Wild said: "The deeds we have show the wall excluded from the ownership of the houses behind it and this information was given to the council some months ago."

Mr Cooper, who has lived in the road 12 years, said: "When the county council thought we were responsible they wanted something done immediately - so what's happened to this hazard?"

The county council's legal team is currently attempting to find out who, if anybody, owns the 10ft (3 metre) high wall so much-needed repairs can begin. Tom Comerford, senior county highways liaison engineer, said: "The situation is still with the county's legal section and is being considered by them before we can progress."