Randwick: Potential wall collapse and right-of-way issue

The last blog entry talked about a footpath opposite the Scout Hut - these two issues are just around the corner - again not in my ward but used by residents - first the wall then the right-of-way...

Wall in Westrip Lane near Hawthorne Rise and opposite Red House Farm

Photo: Area of wall previously subject to heave: now relatively safe

The wall has over the last few years become increasingly dangerous. It has been brought to the attention of various agencies and more recently following several complaints from parishioners the Parish have written a further letter and made various phone calls. There seems to have been frustration that the issue wasn't getting resolved so I also wrote a letter last week and we got a good response from the District Council and Highways who set up the site meeting today to look at the wall.

Photo: Looking at previous photos and plans

Problem: This retaining wall is along a long stretch of the pavement and it is leaning alarmingly and is seriously cracked and has heave problems as well. Many pedestrians use the pavement and in particular mothers with push chairs and young children on the nearby estates taking children to school either at Cashes Green or Foxmoor Primary Schools. There are also two bus stops at each end of this section. The wall is about four foot high - and higher in some places. There is only one pavement on that side of a particularly dangerous road. The danger is compounded by a large hedge planted behind the wall which probably also adds to it leaning and heaving. The issue is made more complex as some owners of the adjoining properties consider (following legal advice) that the wall was never transferred into their ownership when the developer signed off the estate. The wall is in an increasingly dangerous state and may well topple into the pavement and road and in our view constitutes a serious danger particularly to pedestrians.

Photo: Wall leaning at alarming angle

The Building Inspector present showed photos of the wall from about five years ago - the problems were nothing like as bad then - clearly it needs attention now - the first stage is to again contact householders and discuss the best ways forward - the problems of ownership make this particularly difficult issue to resolve - one option may be fort the County to remove the dangerous section and replace with chain-link fencing and allow that and the tree roots to retain the earth. Hopefully this meeting will at least now lead to action to reduce the risks of collapse here.

Right-of-way near the junction between Redhouse Lane and Westrip Lane

Photo: area of concern

The second issue is a patch of land on the same side of the development as the wall but directly on the corner of the junction between Redhouse Lane and Westrip Lane – also allegedly not transferred into anyone’s ownership by the same development company. This has now become an unofficial footpath used by pedestrians including young children, cyclists, moto-scooters motorcyclists etc as a short cut to and from both the Perry Orchard and Hawthorne Rise estates.

The problem is that people come out unexpectedly straight onto a very busy narrow road junction with no warning and little visibility. A number of near misses have occurred at this point. The Parish has been unable to resolve the problem despite contacting various agencies including the Land Registry to identify ownership and thereby bring pressure to bear on the developers, if they still exist as they were last heard of as being based in the Channel Islands - after the original development company ceased trading.

There must be ways to improve the situation: clearly it is a well-used route so blocking it does not seem the right way forward. Improving visibility for vehicles might help as would changing the road surface but again it is a matter of funding priorities - especially as we cannot even establish whether this path is official. Issues like this are deeply frustrating and it seems there are not many options to move forward. What do others feel?