A COLLAPSED wall which fell down blocking a road is the responsibility of the homeowner to fix - and so are the traffic lights on the main road, council bosses say.
The retaining wall in Reservoir Lane off Rainbow Hill in Worcester collapsed, blocking the road with mud and rubble.
Drivers are still facing delays because of the traffic lights in Rainbow Hill put in as a consequence of the collapse - and Worcestershire County Council said the bill for the lights is climbing.
Adam Giagnotti, who owns the semi-detached house above the wall and runs city businesses the Olive Branch and Impasto, has been told by the county council he is responsible for the repair of the wall and it may cost him as much as £400,0000.
His own children, five and seven, had been playing in the sandpit the day before it fell and he has now told them they can no longer play in the garden, concerned for their safety in the dangerous garden overlooking the collapsed wall.
The 42-year-old dad-of-two says he does not understand why the entire responsibility for the repair of the wall and the traffic light system on Rainbow Hill falls entirely on his shoulders.
The wall collapsed in the early hours of February 9 and is now fenced off at both sides with the rubble still lying where it fell.
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A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “Our Highway Status and Extent team completed their search enquiry to confirm ownership. The conveyance on the property confirms that ownership and maintenance of the retaining wall rests with the landowner.
"We can confirm that the area was made safe following this wall collapse, and traffic management installed. There are daily costs being incurred as a result of the traffic lights at this location. On completion of the required works to the wall, we will then discuss further with the resident.”
Mr Giagnotti is exploring why the wall was placed back on the deeds of the house and is keen to speak to anyone who may have more historic details and archive material about the wall, which predates the existence of the semi-detached house he bought just over nine years ago.
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