Cambs road closed for ‘big safety issue’ after ‘unstable stone work …
A church in Cambridge is undergoing emergency works due to unstable stonework. Hills Road is closed inbound from Harvey Road due to an incident at The Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs.
The closure was first reported at around 1.30 on Friday (July 21). A Cambridgeshire[1] County Council (CCC) spokesperson said people should avoid the area if possible.
Councillor Alex Beckett, chair of Highways and Transport Committee at CCC, said 'unstable stonework' had been discovered on the roof of the church. He said: "They [the church] are having to get somebody to assess and try and make that safe or take it down."
Cllr Beckett said he did not know how long the closure would be in place. "The hope is obviously that it will be done as quickly as they possibly can but it's obviously very high up which is quite a specialist task," he said.
"It's a big safety issue. Anything that's under the path of where that stone could fall will be closed."
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: "Hills Road Cambridge[3] is closed to northbound traffic only from Harvey Road due to emergency works at the Catholic Church. The closure is in place for safety reasons.
"Traffic is already building. Please avoid the area if possible and allow extra time for your journey."
A Diocese of East Anglia spokesperson later provided greater insight into the situation. They said: "A recent condition report on the steeple at Grade 1 listed, 133-year-old Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM) church in Cambridge has revealed, 'stone fall, finial failure, cracking and signs of failure with potential danger to the public on the pavement below'.
"In light of this report, OLEM urgently requested advice from the highways authorities on the steps needed to avoid risks to the public, including a possible pavement closure. We understand that Cambs Council have decided to temporarily close parts of Hills Road and the pavement on Lensfield Road.
"The parish is seeking urgent specialist conservation advice and assistance to both ensure public safety and to remedy the structural failings as soon as is practicable."
It added: "The bells will not be rung until further notice, but the services in the church will remain unaffected."
References
- ^ Cambridgeshire (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ 'Alien form of activity' could stop new Cambs village shop, takeaway and post office being built (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ Hills Road Cambridge (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)