£350k contract approved for viaduct wall repairs

A contract worth an estimated £350,000 is set to be awarded to reconstruct the retaining wall at Knaresborough's Viaduct Terrace.

North Yorkshire Council approved the direct award of the contract as it moves forward with plans for a permanent solution at the high-profile riverside location.

The decision follows its collapse in February, which led to the popular area beneath being closed off for safety reasons. Local residents had asked for repairs to be carried out urgently before winter weather sets in.

Council officers said a direct award without a tendering exercise was recommended because of the complexity of the project.

This includes the need for approval from Network Rail and the Environment Agency, as well as environmental and access constraints at the site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Other contract options were considered but rejected because of the uncertainties still surrounding the project, including third-party approvals, environmental restrictions and construction requirements which could change as investigations progress.

The £350,000 figure provides the clearest indication yet of the likely cost of reconstructing the collapsed wall, although the type of contract approved means the council agrees to pay the costs of the work without setting a fixed amount.

The decision comes amid pressure on the council to make progress at the site.

Earlier this month, a petition signed by more than 2,000 residents was presented to councillors calling for urgent action, while Knaresborough councillor Matt Walker highlighted the "slight irony" of the council using a pre-collapse photograph of the viaduct and terrace in an advert for its new chief executive.

Council officers said that work close to the viaduct required careful investigation because Network Rail did not know the precise depth of its foundations.

The council said at the time that ground investigations would include taking cores to establish the depth of the viaduct foundations and drilling boreholes.

Subject to capital funding and the necessary approvals, permanent reconstruction work was expected to take place during summer 2027.

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