THERE are hopes that a Malmesbury wall could finally be repaired - one year after its dramatic collapse.

A large section of the wall on the footpath in King's Wall above The Maltings collapsed last January.

As a result, anyone wanting to use the path has been diverted via a steeper route.

This has been particular inconvenient for those with pushchairs or mobility scooters.

Following long-running discussions between Wiltshire Council and residents of The Maltings, the council has committed to starting repair work by the end of March.

It follows a number of complaints from residents about the lack of progress made so far.

Teenager Ben Thornbury, who spends much of his time helping keep the town clean, said: "I’m aware things take a long while to sort out but are there any plans to fix King's Wall soon, it’s been one year!

"It's still a huge pile of rubble with no change since the collapse."

In response Malmesbury's representative on Wiltshire Council, Gavin Grant, said: "After a bitter battle, Wiltshire Council have accepted their liability for the wall collapse, having previously said it was the Maltings residents' responsibility.

"Council contractors have been engaged and are likely to start work once the winter months end.

"However, a dispute continues with the council over repairing the steps down into the Maltings and the platform which links the steps to the footpath.

"I continue to support the Maltings residents and to liaise with their association on this protracted matter.

Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for transport and street scene, said: “We are currently in negotiations with a specialist contractor as well as a third party who part-own the wall, to come up with a cost effective solution that is acceptable to all involved.

"This has unfortunately been an extended process and we apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

"We are committed to starting the repair within the next two months.”