The long-running ‘farce’ concerning repairs to the flood-damaged wall on Tenbury’s Market Street took a new twist this week with the county council blaming the town council for the delay.
The old wall and the adjoining public toilets were destroyed by rushing floodwaters and crashed into the swollen Kyre Brook in last summer’s floods. On Monday it was announced that work would not start until July.
Eight months on and town centre traders have been complaining to their councillors that the wrecked wall and the protective barriers put up around the stream’s edge are an eyesore.
But yesterday Lee Shrimpton, Worcestershire County Council spokesman, said the county council had tabled a workable proposal to replace the wall along Kyre Brook before Christmas for Tenbury Town Council’s approval.
“When it comes to agreeing a scheme that involves not just ourselves, but also the district council and the Environment Agency, this is considered a very fast turnaround. These designs were presented to Tenbury Town Council, which then asked about the feasibility of a culvert being included.
“The Environment Agency advised us that wasn’t possible, which we passed on to the town council. They queried this advice and took it up directly with the EA.”
“The town council has now confirmed, four months later, that the EA will not allow any digging of culverts as part of the plan. The original plan was to start work in March, but this has now been moved to July as you are aware.”
“The project as I said is to replace public amenities, focusing on the wall and public toilets. There was a 45-metre stretch that fell down, 15 metres of which is the district council’s, the rest is ours. The remainer of the wall belongs to a private owner, so even if we wanted to do something with it, we couldn’t because it doesn’t belong to us.”
Tenbury mayor, Bob Martin said he was disappointed by the delay to the £250,000 project and said the situation was becoming ‘a farce’.
“We couldn’t pin responsibility for the delay on anyone really. Apparently after tenders have been considered and so on the work will not start until July.
Cllr Martin added that if work did start in July it probably wouldn’t be finished until October.
“Town councillors and others are angry about this. we shall have to go through the tourist period with the barriers still there. It’s becoming a farce.”
