No quick fix for collapsed wall
Hopes of an imminent solution to a collapsed wall in Dunblane’s Perth Road appear to have been dashed.
Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Alastair Majury asked for an update on the wall, said to have been in a“collapsed and dangerous state”for two years, at Thursday’s meeting of Stirling Council.
However, officials said they would likely have to resort to legal means if they were to rectify the situation - at a cost environment and housing convener Jim Thomson said he was reluctant to have the council bear.
The stone wall is around 1.5 metres high and forms a boundary between an adopted footway/road and private land, with the length of collapsed wall measuring around 45 metres.
CouncillorThomson said:“The land and wall is privately owned by a company with the owner residing abroad. The roads service have erected barriers and signage around the collapsed sections to prevent public access.
“The service may be forced to undertake the works without agreement from the landowner and to look to secure reimbursement, however this has a level of risk attached to securing reimbursement.
“I’m reluctant to commit the service to spend what is public money to something owned by another person, however we do have powers.
“Walls at Top of the Town have needed work done for 10 years so don’t expect an instant answer to it.”
Councillor Majury said, however:“Defective boundary walls are located next to many of Stirling’s roads and footways and the council deal with numerous landowners to resolve these issues. Generally, the landowners will repair defective walls when issues of safety are highlighted to them. However, it appears the owner of this wall may no longer be in the UK.
“Given the exceptional circumstances surrounding this wall and that residents have had to put up with it for years, I am very disappointed that I could not get a commitment for a repair and to pursue the owner for costs. In some cases this is the only realistic way an issue will get sorted. I will continue to pursue the matter and a wider rethink on how these issues are handled.”