Council approves repair work to historic wall at risk of collapse

Bath & North East Somerset Council has granted listed building consent for repairs to a wall at risk of collapsing on to the pavement.

The wall at Kelso Place

Kelso Place Management Ltd applied for permission to partly rebuild and partly repair the boundary wall at Upper Bristol Road.

The Grade II listed wall is part of the historic gas works site.

A report submitted with the application said that scaffolding had been erected so that ivy could be removed and to allow for a thorough inspection of the wall.

It became clear after the removal of the ivy that some of the roots had become very large and caused structural damage.

It also became apparent that there had been a structure on the inside face of the wall which had been removed, resulting in the upper part being exposed to the elements.

A structural engineer said plant growth and rainwater ingress had caused “significant damage” to the wall, probably contributing to the visible movement.

There was little evidence of ‘through’ stones tying the two faces of the wall together and “prompt action” was recommended to prevent a possible collapse.