A contract worth an estimated £350,000 is set to be awarded to reconstruct the collapsed retaining wall at Knaresborough’s Viaduct Terrace.
North Yorkshire Council has approved the direct award of the contract as it moves forward with plans for a permanent solution at the high-profile riverside location.
The decision follows the collapse of the terrace in February, which led to the popular area beneath Knaresborough Viaduct being closed and prompted calls from residents and councillors for repairs to be accelerated.
Council officers said a direct award without a tendering exercise was recommended because of the urgent need to reconstruct the failed retaining wall and the complexities surrounding the project.
These include the need to secure approvals from Network Rail and the Environment Agency, as well as environmental and access constraints at the site.
Council officials say the awarding of the contract will enable engineers to help manage risks and carry out ground investigations before the final construction solution is developed.
The authority said this approach would help ensure a permanent solution could be delivered in a timely manner.
Other contract options were considered but rejected because of the uncertainties still surrounding the project, including third-party approvals, environmental restrictions and construction requirements which could change as investigations progress.
The £350,000 figure provides the clearest indication yet of the likely cost of reconstructing the collapsed wall although the type of contract approved means the council agrees to pay the costs of the work without setting a fixed amount.
The decision comes amid pressure on the council to make progress at the site.
Earlier this month, a petition signed by more than 2,000 residents was presented to councillors calling for urgent action, with Knaresborough councillor Matt Walker highlighting the “slight irony” of the council using a pre-collapse photograph of the viaduct and terrace in an advert for its new chief executive.
At the meeting, council officers explained that work close to the viaduct required careful investigation because Network Rail did not know the precise depth of its foundations.
The council said at the time that ground investigations would include taking cores to establish the depth of the viaduct foundations and drilling boreholes.
Subject to capital funding and the necessary approvals, permanent reconstruction work was expected to take place during summer 2027.
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