A Bridge of Allan road shut after a wall collapse in 2023 has reached the second anniversary of its closure with no resolution in sight.
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.
In December 2024, The Courier reported that Bridge of Allan locals were hopeful the half-mile long stretch of road, blocked with padlocked fencing in some places, would soon finally reopen, even with a one-way system in place.
At that time, a Stirling Council spokesperson said: “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.”
And Green Bridge of Allan councillor Alasdair Tollemache told The Courier he had received reassurance from Stirling Council that it was “committed” to reopening Sunnylaw Road as soon as possible.
But, nearly four months later, the local authority has not yet taken any further action.
Closure increases congestion in Bridge of Allan, say locals
Bridge of Allan resident Inga Bullen said: “There are a number of people inconvenienced by this road closure on Sunnylaw Road and running out of patience.
“It is frustrating that there is no evidence of any repairs taking place in spite of assurances from the Council that action was expected in the ‘early part of the year’.
“We are frustrated because of the lack of an alternative access road to homes in the Sunnylaw area of the town when Blairforkie Drive has been blocked, as happened for a road accident, road repairs, flooding, tree felling.
“But also the closure forces us to use the busy bottleneck for daily vehicle access, adding to the congestion on Henderson Street.”
Mr Tollemache said: “Whilst understanding that there are complexities, action now needs to be taken to open this road, even if initially with some form of a single-track system.
“I have again written to the council requesting an update and it has also been raised at the community council.”
Council claims Sunnylaw Road will reopen ‘in near future’
Another local, Val Pettit, said: “Continued closure of Sunnylaw Road is highly inconvenient for people living in Upper Bridge of Allan, who are reliant on their cars, and contributes considerably to traffic congestion in Henderson Street, especially at busy times of day.
“Everyone affected by this long-running and wholly unnecessary dispute would welcome a timely resolution.”
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “We’re continuing to liaise closely with all responsible parties towards a resolution which will see the road reopen in the near future.”
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