An important city footpath linking Heigham Grove and Clarendon Road in the Golden Triangle will close for the third time (1) due to botched work by Anglian Water contractors.
Named the Henry Trevor Walk after the businessman who designed the Plantation Garden, the footpath which runs between Victorian villas in the Heigham Grove conservation area was first closed more than a year ago for six months. The closure was caused by a burst water main which caused structural damage to the footpath and its brick walls and subsidence to adjacent listed properties. Anglian Water repaired the water main and structural engineers were brought in to stabilise the buildings and walls.
The re-opening of the footpath in February 2021 was followed swiftly by another closure, this time for several months, when Anglian Water was forced to re-lay the new water main (2). Anglian Water has now sought closure for a third time, from 25th October for two weeks, with provision for closure for up to six months. The third closure is to carry out remedial work to the footpath which Norfolk County Council says has been left with a trip hazard. Site inspection concluded that the newly-laid water main and footpath would not last very long before becoming a real issue, potentially introducing water ingress and subsidence (3).
Denise Carlo, a Green Party councillor for Nelson ward, where the Henry Trevor Walk is located, said: “Lengthy closure of this important footpath has caused inconvenience and even hardship to residents. For example, older residents with health and mobility problems living in Heigham Grove have had to take a half mile detour on foot via Earlham Road to the chemist and GP on Unthank Road, with a long hill back. It’s not acceptable that Anglian Water carried out substandard work, and that Norfolk County Council did not oversee the project more closely. I hope that the path can soon be reopened, having been properly repaired.”
Dr Lesley Cunneen, a resident of Clarendon Road who lives close to the opening of the Henry Trevor Walk said: ‘It is not only inconvenient, but also frustrating and disruptive for neighbours. Our little footpath is taking longer to resolve than the redevelopment of St Stephen’s. The work has clearly suffered from a lack of supervision both by AW and the County Council.’
A photograph of Clarendon Road residents, Dr Cunneen and Janine Crowcombe, standing by the entrance to Henry Trevor Walk accompanies this press release.
Notes:
1) Norfolk County Council published notice of a Temporary Traffic Restriction Order on 7 October 2022 for various highways that included Henry Trevor Walk. HENRY TREVOR WALK – from 80m north of its junction with Clarendon Road for 25m northwards due to a correction of reinstatement from 24th October to 7th November 2022. Alternative route is via: Heigham Grove, Earlham Road, Unthank Road, Clarendon Road and vice versa. If necessary, the restrictions could run for a maximum period of 6 months.
2) Explanation for Second Closure provided by Anglian Water to Norfolk County Council and Cllr D Carlo on 15 March 2022:
“Unfortunately, this repair hasn’t given us the water quality we strive to achieve after numerous attempts to improve the water quality through cleaning, flushing and chlorinating the main we were still not at a point we were completely satisfied with, resulting in us making the decision to re-lay it.”
3) Email from Norfolk County Council Highways to Cllr Denise Carlo on 10 Oct 2022.
“Unfortunately, the original works where very complex and involved insurers and listed buildings. The quality of the works was identified by Anglian water as not being to standard so they self-defected the works and returned to make good. Unfortunately, the remedial works were still not to standard, left a trip hazard and was constructed in such a way that my inspector was not conceived that this would last very long before becoming a real issue potentially introducing water ingress and subsidence. The Coming closure is for a third attempted to complete these works (to the requires standard set out in the SROH) and we will make sure to oversee the works more closely to avoid a fourth attempt.”
Norwich Green Party has eleven councillors on Norwich City Council, where it forms the main opposition party, and three on Norfolk County Council, representing the wards of Mancroft, Nelson and Thorpe Hamlet in Norwich.