The £19,000 reconstruction and repair of the church wall at St Andrew’s Kirkby Malzeard will move a step closer today.
A 10-metre section of wall collapsed onto Church Street on February 19, causing the closure of the principal route between Kirkby Malzeard and Masham.
A diversion has been in place for more than eight months.
Planning permission is required for reconstruction of the collapsed section and repair of a further 30-metre length of the wall.
Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) has responsibility for the structure bordering the graveyard of the 12th century church, which was registered as a Grade I Listed Building in March 1967.
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At a planning committee meeting today councillors will be asked to approve an application for reconstruction and repair of the stone wall.
Approval by members of the committee would be subject to conditions and if supported, final consent will be deferred to the executive officer for development management and building control.
HBC had initially hoped to have the wall reconstructed and repaired and the carriageway reopened to through traffic by the end of June.
However, timescales had to be reviewed because of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
St Andrew’s Church
Before work can proceed, further discussions need to be completed with Historic England, which has raised concerns about the proposed method of reconstructing the wall.
In a letter to HBC, the heritage watchdog, said:
“The church complex, including the churchyard and wall is considered to have exceptional heritage significance which derives from its architectural styles, legible plan-form, good surviving historical fabric and its continued focal point for rural community life.”
A report to councillors, says:
“Negotiations are ongoing with regards to the technical details, but the scheme is considered to be acceptable in principle.
“The principle of rebuilding the wall is accepted and whilst any stabilisation works will lead to ‘less than substantial harm’ to the structure it is considered that subject to agreeing a suitable method of construction and stabilisation, the public benefits of rebuilding the wall outweigh this harm.”
