Owner of Dangerous Riverside Wall Remains a Mystery

Has been teetering over Thames Path for at least a month

The brick wall is split and appears on the point of collapse. Picture: Chris Longhurst

October 18, 2024

No action appears to have been taken to deal with a wall teetering on the point of collapse by the river in Brentford due to a failure to identify the owner.

The brick wall is on the Thames Path near Victoria Quay Steps at the bottom of the step leading down to the path from Watermans Park.

It is leaning precariously and would fall onto the path should it topple over. The council has placed a fence around it and affixed legal notices at the site addressed to ‘The Owner’.

A letter from the council’s Interim Head of Building Control dated 20 September, along with a Dangerous Structure notice, states that ‘immediate attention and action’ is required within seven days and that a charge is being made for the issue of the notice.

View from the riverside path. Picture: Chris Longhurst

Users of the path have expressed concern that the gate put around the wall would not provide much protection should the wall fall and have questioned why the council has not proactively taken steps to secure the wall and then seeking to recoup the costs once the owner of the wall is identified.

We contacted the council to ask if it had been able to contact the owner of the wall and, if not, what action it would take, but have yet to receive a response.

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