News / Frome Valley Walkway
Path left ‘impassable’ by floods repaired
A path left “unsafe and impassable” by frequent flooding has been repaired after a petition calling for a fix passed 2,000 signatures.
A section of the Frome Valley Walkway running from Oldbury Court to Snuff Mills was being flooded almost every time it rained, blocking off the “hundreds of people (who) use this path to get to school, work, shops, visit family or simply to walk in the park,” the petition said.
“This has a huge effect on everyday life, extending the time it takes to get to work and school and limiting all park activities.”
The 2,225 people who signed the petition called on Bristol City Council to fix the gap in the riverbank that was allowing water to pour through when the river rose, washing more and more of the path away.
The council has now plugged the hole with a concrete block which it hopes will prevent further flooding.
The repair comes two months after the petition was debated by the council and follows a campaign by Friends of Oldbury Court and Frome Vale councillor Louis Martin.
Martin said: “The state of the path hasn’t been acceptable for years, and it shouldn’t have taken a petition debate at the council to force it to act. That said, I’m glad it is finally done.
“This is a case of ‘a stitch in time saves nine’. Leaving it as it was would have caused more problems, leading to a more expensive fix further down the line.
“Hopefully this new concrete block will prevent flooding, and ensure the path remains in a usable state until major works planned for the path are carried out.”
Main photo: Louis Martin
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