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12
May
Viaduct Terrace landslip: Repair work ‘unlikely’ to start this year
Work to repair a collapsed pedestrian walkway in Knaresborough appears unlikely to start until next year.
Viaduct Terrace on Waterside collapsed into the River Nidd on Sunday, February 8, following prolonged rain.
No one was harmed, but trains were cancelled that afternoon.
Viaduct Terrace is almost directly beneath the viaduct that carries trains on the line between Harrogate and York.
Seventeen days after the incident, North Yorkshire Council told the Stray Ferret investigations were underway, but said the cause of the collapse was “yet to be identified”.
It did reveal, however, that a “section of the masonry wall rotated outwards towards the river, taking with it parts of the pavement”.
The authority has provided little information since, prompting Councillor Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, to seek updates on behalf of residents.
Three months on, Cllr Walker said he has received “disappointing news” from the authority.
Despite being told repair work would start this summer, Cllr Walker said it now seems unlikely work will begin at all this year.
Cllr Walker shared a recent response from North Yorkshire Council, which said:
Initial survey work will be undertaken shortly. This will be followed by detailed design work, after which approval will be required from both Network Rail and the Environment Agency before any works can commence. Unless ground conditions prove favourable, it is currently unlikely that the works will be able to start on site this year.
In the meantime, we continue to monitor the situation closely and have worked with the boat operator to put a cordon in place to keep vessels away from the affected area. Further updates will be provided once the survey and design stages have been completed.
Pedestrian walkway Viaduct Terrace collapsed into the River Nidd. Credit: Cllr Matt Walker
Viaduct Terrace remains cordoned off.
Cllr Matt Walker
‘It’s not very welcoming’
Cllr Walker today (May 12) told the Stray Ferret he will be launching a petition calling on North Yorkshire Council to start repair work as soon as possible.
He added:
It’s not very welcoming to our town as we head into peak tourist season. North Yorkshire Council needs to make sure it supports our tourism economy and local businesses who depend on it.
The Stray Ferret put a number of questions to the council after the landslip. You can read the council’s responses by clicking here.
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