Story: Rohan Francis
Property owners and residents in Page Hall are being urged to check the condition of boundary walls after reports of a number of recent collapses, with the latest happening in October.
An officer from the Council's Dangerous Structure section, raised the issue after noticing an unusually high number of unsafe or collapsing walls in the area. Council surveys identified the area of concern around the streets of Popple, Robey, Lloyd, Wade and Willoughby.
The Messenger asked the Council why the problem was particularly affecting structures in Page Hall. They explained, “There are many factors contributing towards this issue. It may simply be the higher number of large retaining walls, which are more prone to problems.”
The Council officer advised owners or occupiers to “be aware of the walls around them and, in the first instance, to contact a builder, structural engineer or competent person to inspect the walls and structures”.
If residents are concerned that a wall or structure is dangerous, for example if it is bulging, leaning or bowing out, then it can be reported to the Council on 273 4170. It is important to note that the owner would be responsible for carrying out and paying for any work required.
Comments
The condition of the boundary walls was highlighted as far back as 2006. It was one of the items flagged up, when deciding on what regeneration issues to focus on. The problem here, is that any work must be carried out in conjunction with your neighbours. If you spend money on this and the adjoining property owner does not, your effort may be entirely wasted. There is an important safety issue here and one which will only become more urgent over time if it is neglected. If there was any money left for regeneration in the area, in my opinion I would have this issue at the top of my priority list.