Herefordshire Council, Welsh Water and the owners of a wall which has been at the centre of a road closure row at Symonds Yat have had a date set for an appeal. A Council spokesperson said: “The appeal hearing is listed for up to four days at Hereford Magistrates Court, October 21st, 22nd, 28th and 31st.”

Herefordshire Council took action under section 167 of the Highways Act after other attempts to secure the repair of an unsafe privately owned wall next to the C1257 all proved unsuccessful.

The notice requires the owners of the wall to return it to a safe state within a reasonable time frame. If this doesn’t happen the council will undertake works to this private property and recover the cost.

The outcome of the appeal hearing will determine the timetable for progression to achieve the primary goal of reopening the road as soon as possible. The Council said that the focus is on encouraging all parties to meet their responsibilities and ensure that the road can be safely returned to use.See the full story in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here