Bridge of Allan residents are hopeful that a road closed after a wall collapse in 2023 could soon finally reopen.
Sunnylaw Road was completely shut to all motor vehicles, bikes and pedestrians after part of a private garden wall collapsed in April 2023.
This created rubble in the road and caused some damage to a house and two nearby gardens.
Stirling Council deemed homeowners living next to the affected section of the wall responsible for the repair, but allowed the residents extra time to organise the work and gather the funds required.
Twenty months on, the rubble is gone, but no restoration work has been carried out to the wall, and the half-mile long stretch of road remains shut, blocked with padlocked fencing in places.
“We understood it would take a while to resolve but 18 months is excessive,” said local resident Inga Bullen.
“There is no access, even for pedestrians or bicycles.
“There is a footpath within the woods which is unlit, has some steep sections, and has steps at one end.”
According to Ms Bullen, the road closure means motorists, cyclists and walkers are unable to avoid Bridge of Allan’s busy main road, Henderson Street, adding to congestion there.
She added: “It would be feasible to have the short section [of Sunnylaw Road] opened as a single-track road for temporary access, but this has been rejected by the [council] roads department with no discussion.”
‘Not acceptable for one person to hold other residents to ransom’
Another local living in the Sunnylaw area, Val Pettit, said: “It beggars belief that the stubbornness and intransigence of both sides around the indefinite closure of Sunnylaw Road can continue to adversely affect the residents of part of upper Bridge of Allan.
“This closure is causing extra traffic congestion in Henderson Street in both directions, especially at busy times, when people are trying to get to and from work or school.
“There is a danger that if this situation is allowed to continue any longer, it will become the default position.
“If the parties involved cannot agree whose responsibility it is for the collapse of the wall, and for its repair, surely it is not too much to expect that both the council and the property owner to reach a compromise position in order to reopen the road without further delay?
“Have alternatives such as a lower wall or fencing, for example, been explored and costed?
“It is surely not acceptable for one individual to hold other residents to ransom in this way and prevent the use of what is, after all, a public thoroughfare.”
‘Stirling Council is committed to reopening Sunnylaw Road as soon as possible’
Bridge of Allan councillor Alasdair Tollemache said: “Many residents have been in touch over this closure.
“Their main reaction is that this is taking too long to resolve, and the alternative routes are down a steep hill or along a single-track road.
“They would like to see immediate action which would allow the road to reopen as soon as possible.
“I note the council is committed to doing this.”
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “Sunnylaw Road has been closed since 5 May 2023 for safety reasons following the collapse of a wall.
“Repairs to the wall are the responsibility of residents who live at this section of the road and formal notices have been issued to that effect.
“Normally, this notice gives owners 28 days to carry out the work, but this has not been enforced in recognition of the cost and complexity of the repairs and to allow residents a reasonable amount of time to plan them.
“Officers from the council’s roads service have engaged directly with impacted residents and with the community council to move the matter on.
“If the wall is not repaired it is open to the council to undertake the works, and to recover the costs from those with legal responsibility for the wall.”
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