My neighbour’s garden wall looks like it’s about to collapse. What should I do?

I was out for a walk near my home with my daughter a month or so ago and we came across a very badly cracked wall. It forms the front boundary of a private house and as you can see from the photo I have supplied to you, it fronts on to the footpath. We were out walking again at the weekend, and nothing appears to have been done. Given the wide cracks I fear the wall could fall at any time, potentially on young children walking past. Whose responsibility is it to fix this? Must we always wait until there’s an accident in this country before acting?

The wall you describe and for which you have provided a photograph, does appear to be in a dangerous state.

You mentioned that the wall forms the front boundary to a private house. The footpath it fronts is likely to be in the charge of the local authority, especially if it forms part of a public road. It is therefore likely that the wall is part of the same property as the private house you refer to, and if so, it is the responsibility of the property owner.

I suggest that you immediately approach the owners/occupiers of the private house and express your concerns to them. It is possible that they may not be aware of just how precarious the wall is, as it appears to be screened from the house by a dense hedge. You should also notify the local authority without delay. You should emphasise to the local authority that a section of the wall has become detached and presents a risk of serious injury to people using the public footpath. Because of the dense hedge growing behind the wall, if it falls, it is more likely to fall on to the footpath. You should provide precise location details to the local authority.

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Patrick Shine is a chartered geomatics surveyor, a chartered civil engineer, and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.

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