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29
Sept
Council reveals repair costs for collapsed Knaresborough walkway
Repairs to a collapsed walkway in Knaresborough are set to cost £350,000.
Viaduct Terrace on Waterside collapsed into the River Nidd on February 8 this year following a prolonged rainfall.
No one was harmed, but because the walkway is almost directly beneath the viaduct that carries trains between York and Harrogate services were significantly disrupted.
However, councillors have criticised North Yorkshire Council for delays in repairing the landslip.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people signed a petition calling for the walkway to be treated as an urgent priority and meaningful stabilisation work to begin before winter.
Viaduct Terrace after the landslip.
Now, according to a council contract decision, the repairs to Viaduct Terrace are expected to cost £350,000.
The authority intends to make a direct award of the contract for reconstruction of the retaining wall. However, no contracter is named in the decision notice.
The decision adds that early contractor involvement is required to “manage risks, undertake ground investigations, and ensure timely delivery of a permanent solution in a high-profile location”.
'Slight irony’
It comes as Liberal Democrat Cllr Matt Walker, who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, pointed out that the council had used a picture of Knaresborough’s Viaduct Terrace before its collapse to advertise for its new chief executive.
Cllr Walker highlighted the use of the image while presenting a petition calling for urgent action to repair the site after the terrace collapsed in February.
Cllrs Walker and Gostlow at Viaduct Terrace
Speaking at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee on Thursday (September 24), Cllr Walker said residents were struggling to understand why work had still not begun seven months later.
He said:
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had lots of residents contact me about the advert for the chief executive that went out.
There’s a slight irony there that the picture that was used was of the viaduct and the Viaduct Terrace prior to the collapse.
So clearly the council values it, but they can’t be bothered to fix it urgently.
If it’s good enough to promote Yorkshire at its best, we need to get on and fix it.
Meanwhile, council bridges manager Phil Richardson told members that repairing the terrace was complicated by its proximity to Network Rail’s viaduct.
He said the council could not excavate alongside the structure without Network Rail’s permission and without first establishing the depth of the viaduct foundations.
A council report revealed that earlier attempts to obtain quotes for ground investigations were unsuccessful because of the liabilities and risks associated with contractors working close to Network Rail infrastructure.
A contract is now being awarded which will allow ground investigations and design work to take place.
Mr Richardson said the site would be monitored over winter and rock armour could be installed as a temporary measure if necessary, although officers did not currently believe that was required.
Subject to a future bid for council capital funding, permanent work is currently expected to begin in summer 2027 and be completed the same year.
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