Council confirms plans for permanent repairs at St Oswald’s, Malpas

Cheshire West and Chester Council is now able to confirm plans for permanent repairs to the collapsed wall at St Oswald’s, Church Street, Malpas.

The wall collapsed following heavy storms in January this year, so the Council commissioned a structural engineer who advised that two stages of work were necessary to repair it.

Stage one, to carry out temporary works to make the wall safe and reopen the road, has recently been completed. These temporary works were purely functional and were not intended to be aesthetically pleasing.

The main contractor for permanent repairs in stage two has now been appointed. Engineers are currently drawing up the designs for the repair and are drafting work plans. 

The wall is a listed structure and the permanent repairs will be in keeping with its Listed designation.  This will include undertaking certain consultations and obtaining the necessary approvals for the works.

It is anticipated that the works will begin in April 2022 and should be complete by autumn 2022.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “The Council is very grateful for the support and patience of Malpas residents and visitors regarding the collapsed wall at St Oswald’s.

“The wall is a scheduled monument, it will now take time to draw up plans for the permanent repairs and obtain the necessary approvals to work on a listed structure, but it is important we get it right.

“Also, repairs to historic masonry require the use of specialist materials, like lime mortar, which can only be applied in warmer months to allow it to harden sufficiently.”