Report damage to a retaining wall
Retaining walls in the district
The Council have identified approximately 10km of retaining wall on principal roads within the district. The number and length of retaining walls on other roads is currently unknown.
Basic information (e.g. height, length, parapet details, type of wall) is recorded for each identified wall.
Ownership and responsibility for maintenance
Generally retaining walls which support the highway or which were constructed as part of a highway scheme are the responsibility of the Council. The Council will maintain and repair walls for which it is responsible.
Walls which retain adjacent land above the level of the highway are usually the responsibility of the landowner.
Boundary walls alongside the highway are the responsibility of the adjacent landowner.
Inspection regime for retaining walls
Walls are inspected following receipt of a complaint, notification of collapse or accident damage affecting the highway.
Maintenance workbank
Maintenance work is identified through the inspection regime and is recorded in the Maintenance Workbank. Maintenance is prioritised using the following criteria:
- Safety and functionality. Criteria considered include structure type, route carried, obstacle crossed, element and overall condition, assessed capacity, likelihood and consequence of failure, traffic restrictions.
- Benefits/disbenefits. Criteria considerd include lower or higher whole life costs, reduced or increased journey times, minimisation of network disruption, integration of work to achieve cost savings
- Socio-economic and environmental. Criteria considered include local policies, user/customer perception, impact on local communities and businesses, environmental impact
