Rock fall risk leads to repair bill for council
Work on damaged fences could cost up to £130K
Around £130,000 may have to be found by Stirling Council to carry out safety work on an area at Causewayhead which was previously hit by a landslide.
Council officers are advising the sum may have to be spent on essential repairs to the Abbey Craig rock face after some of the structure was assessed as “potentially unstable”.
And they say that given the nature of the repairs and “degree of risk to the public” from falling rocks, remedial work may have to be carried out in this financial year even though there is no budget for such work.
The site at Abbey Craig, including the rock fences, is leased from Cowane’s Trust, with all responsibility for the site falling to Stirling Council.
The 99 year lease began in November 1980 and the council is responsible for maintenance of the ‘rockfall’ fences that prevent rocks from reaching the public highway and residential and commercial properties along Alloa Road.
In a report scheduled to go before the council’s finance committee tomorrow (Thursday) officials said: “Inspections are carried out periodically and the last remedial works were carried out in 2007/08. No further work has been required since, however the recent inspection has identified a series of repairs that are necessary to maintain the integrity of the catchment fences.
“No work has been done on the fences in recent years and there are a number of fences that have been brought down by falling trees and small boulders. The level of protection to the public from falling rocks is therefore reduced and repair work is necessary to protect road users and properties.
“The monitoring and inspection of the structures sits within the Roads and Land service, however there is no allocated budget to address the identified repairs that are required.
“The estimated cost of carrying out the work ranges from £70,000 to £130,000 depending on whether only the high priority work is completed or whether all remedial work is carried out. It is recommended that all the works are carried out to maintain the effectiveness of the catchment fences and public safety. Much of the lower priority works relate to vegetation clearance. By removing the vegetation the rate of deterioration of the structural components of the fences may be reduced.”
If given the go-ahead the work is expected to be done between December and March and the funds provided from council balances.
In July 2005 the A907 from Causewayhead roundabout to Manor Powis roundabout was closed for 10 days after a landslide.
Although containment fencing at the bottom of the Abbey Craig prevented any rockfall on to the busy Alloa Road, damage caused to the fencing meant there was a potential risk to traffic.
It is recommended that all the works are carried out to maintain the effectiveness of the catchment fences