By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
The historic boundary wall of Tewkesbury’s Victoria Pleasure Gardens will be repaired as civic chiefs agreed to spend more than £230,000 on the project.
The southern wall, which was originally built as part of old Benedictine Abbey’s precinct, also serves as a flood defence for the town.
However, it partially collapsed in 2023 and has since been behind hoarding to protect the public.
Tewkesbury Borough Council chiefs say Victoria Gardens are the town’s most well used public gardens and they agreed last night (June 24) to go ahead with works to fix the wall.
A formal tender process has taken place, based on an independent structural engineer’s design, and a contractor is in place to start in August.
The works, which will secure the integrity of the historic wall for future generations to enjoy, should be completed within 13 weeks.
Once complete, it will once again be a beautiful backdrop to Victoria Gardens, according to council chiefs.
The council will use £236,699.00 for the project. This includes other costs for items such as the hoarding, planning consent and ecological surveys. It also includes a 15% contingency. Some £86,692.15 + VAT will be recoverable from the residents of Abbey Court.
If individual residents cannot meet their share of the costs upfront the council has offered instalment payments over three years.
If a resident refuses to pay their share of the costs legal action will commence with the likely outcome of a legal charge being placed on their property title.
Councillor Stewart Dove (LD, Churchdown St John’s) said it was great to see progress and praised officers for working hard to achieve a resolution that works for everyone.
“Sadly the historic boundary wall in Victoria Gardens partially collapsed in March 2023,” he said.
“This is owned jointly by ourselves, the council, as well as a number of residents whose gardens run up to the wall.
“We have reached agreement with the residents to pay their share of the cost with some paying over a three year period if that is helpful for them.”
Council agreed to use the money from reserves to go ahead with the repair work.
The medieval stone wall forms part of the historic perimeter of the old Benedictine Abbey.
Today the wall forms the southern boundary of Victoria Gardens, a public riverside park established in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
The gardens are formed on land that was once the road to Gloucester on the banks of the Avon Mill stream and later reclaimed as part of a rerouting of the Avon Mill stream.
The gardens are managed by a volunteer group, The Friends of Victoria Gardens, and mostly funded by donations.
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
Original post on the Gloucestershire News Centre website
Gloucestershire News Centre