Wall work must be done again

PART of a dry stone wall that has required a six-month road closure to repair is having to be painstakingly taken down and rebuilt.

A blunder by contractors Bethell has left them having to reconstruct the retaining wall on Gatehead Close, Delph, at their own expense.

A stretch of the road was closed last September, with diversions set up while the wall was repaired.

But this week workman began taking down stones on a 20-metre section that they had tackled.

A roadworks sign dating back to September 27 states that the road was only due to be shut for ten weeks.

The work is part of a scheme where Oldham Council received almost £20 million in Government funding to undertake repairs to the borough’s retaining walls.

In addition, the authority committed around £2.2 million to the total project cost of tackling 34 schemes identified as “needing urgent assistance” over two years.

However, road closures have caused traffic problems.

Councillor John McCann, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Environment, said: “As part of the ongoing retaining wall work in the borough a 20-metre section of Gatehead Road was inspected and found not to be in accordance with the contract drawings and specifications laid down by the council.

“The contractor has accepted full responsibility and will take down and rebuild this section to the agreed specification at no cost to the council.

“This work is part of a reconstruction programme of a 120-metre length of wall and is expected to be finished by the end of next week.

“Officers regularly inspect all work carried out by contractors to ensure that it is to the agreed standard and enforce any remedial action.”

Bethell was unavailable to comment.