Ludlow Town council could be taken to court over collapsed wall

Ludlow Town Council could be taken to court over a heated legal dispute regarding a collapsed wall and how it will be repaired.

Despite the collapse happening in February 2013, only temporary measures have been used to prop up the wall by St Laurence’s Church in Ludlow.

Speaking at a Ludlow Town Council meeting on December 9, 2024, Martin Crowdy, who lives by the church, said he was worried a further collapse of the wall could result in tragedy, adding “the longer it’s left, the great the risk.”

At the same meeting, Colin Richards, chair of the Ludlow Town Walls Trust (LTWR), told the town council there are locals with relevant expertise who are willing to help, but “the offer is limited”.

Members of the public who were present criticised the local authority for an alleged lack of transparency for not sharing a report that was sent to them in December 2021 from structural engineers, the Morton Partnership.

The report says that it seems likely that the trigger for the collapse was a build-up of water in the sub-social behind the wall following a long period of rainfall. It sets out seven options for consideration and asks the council to advise which one should be taken forward.

It recommended the report should be forwarded to other appropriate parties, including the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Laurence’s, Historic England and Shropshire Council for their views.

Following a meeting it held on December 16, 2024, the council “reconsidered its position,” and shared the full report to interested parties.

However, the issue now is determining who is responsible for repairing the wall.

On November 22, 2024, Nick Parker, a partner at Norris & Miles Solicitors, wrote a letter to Gina Wilding, the clerk of Ludlow Town, stating that the PCC, who it is representing, felt compelled to initate legal proceedings for a judicial review and to file a complaint of maladminstration with the Local Government Ombudsman.

Ms Wilding has maintained that the town council is not responsbile for the upkeep of the wall, telling Mr Richards in an email on January 8, 2025, that any demands for a risk assessment should be directed to the church, which owns the wall, and it has no liability to either investigate the matter or undertake any remedial works.

To provide an update to members of the public, the LTWR held a meeting at Ludlow Assembly Rooms last Saturday (February 22).

Around 80 people who attended were told that the remaining wall extending eastwards from the collapsed section of the wall to the rear of the Compasses Inn ‘is in a tenuous condition of stability’ and poses a risk to pedestrians.

The LTWT reportedly requested the town council to erect warning signs and protective barriers in front of the vulnerable section of wall. However, the council allegedly declined, stating it is no longer responsible for the wall’s maintenance, shifting liability instead to the PCC.

The PCC is now instructing solicitors to start legal proceedings, saying that there is no other alternative.

Ludlow Town Council has been approached for comment.