An insight into the scale and complexity of the repairs needed at the collapsed wall site was provided this week by the Council and specialist engineers Ramboll.

A meeting attended by elected members, officers, MP Samantha Dixon and others was addressed by Paul Maddison of Ramboll who provided a detailed insight into the works that had been carried out since the collapse of 17 January 2020. Paul, a conservation accredited chartered engineer who has been working for Ramboll since 2004 described how the company was engaged early on to stabilise the wall in conjunction with Balvac, (part of Balfour Beatty) and the Council Highways Team. Ramboll operate globally with with 300 offices worldwide and have had a base in Chester for 40 years.

For a number of years the team were not able to access the collapse site for legal and safety reasons, an unfortunate truth which nevertheless led to complaints about the perceived lack of action from angry voices in the community. However it’s clear that a huge amount of work has taken place since 2020, with the first stage being a scaffolding system being erected at the rear to prevent any potential future collapse. Visiting this site at the rear of the Wesley Church gave an indication of the expert engineering required to make the area safe, as well as the added complexities of below ground archaeology / crypts and the need to maintain a fire escape route for the surrounding buildings.

After this, a temporary walkway was constructed over the collapsed site. This walkway was integrated into the scaffolding propping and designed to protect the Wesley Church Centre below. This provided some continuity for walls users, preventing lengthy disruption as has happened in other areas in the past.

The site tour revealed the complex access needs for the site, with access eventually negotiated with the Grosvenor Car Park and other stakeholders, with a system of scaffold ramps and conveyors in place. From here, all of the collapsed material must be removed and recorded, whilst the wall itself will be propped up with concrete blocks. The whole area has been topped with a covered roof to protect the environment, and a small digger is the only piece of machinery on site. A works compound has also been established at Dee House.

The investigation stage is expected to be completed in roughly a years time. Because those involved don’t know the extent of the damage or what they have to repair, the final date for full completion of the repairs will be confirmed in the future.

For further updates and schematics of the repair works : https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/leisure-parks-and-events/chester-city-walls/current-work-on-the-walls