Seven firms decline work to replace scaffolding at collapsed Ludlow town wall

Seven companies have reportedly declined to replace scaffolding at a partially collapsed section of Ludlow's historic town wall with netting.

The section beside St Laurence's Church was damaged in February 2013 as a result of water pressure, moisture degradation and freezing temperatures.

Scaffolding remains in place, but Ludlow Town Council's policy and finance committee was recently told that each of the seven firms approached about removing it and installing netting had declined to assist.

Council staff have now returned to Colin Richards, chair of Ludlow Town Walls Trust, who has recommended an eighth company. Committee members agreed that Mr Richards should act on the council's behalf.

A further update is due to go before a full town council meeting on Monday, October 26. The item will again be considered in private, excluding members of the press and public.

Longmynd Consultants examined the scaffolding last December to determine whether it provided structural support. The firm has never been involved in assessing the condition of the wall itself.

Its report concluded that the scaffolding "did not appear to to offer any buttressing or structural support" to the town wall.

Josh Sansom, from the company, said: "Therefore, if the loose stonework at the top of the wall is removed or an alternative method of debris containment is installed (e.g. debris netting), we consider that the scaffolding may be removed, subject to agreement with all relevant stakeholders."

However, the issue remains unresolved 10 months later.

Last March, LTC and the PCC said they had reached an agreement on the first steps towards restoring the wall. They said they would take "preliminary steps" together “with a view to enabling the restoration of the town wall at St Laurence’s churchyard”.

The two parties had been involved for years in a legal dispute over liability and financial responsibility for the repairs.

Up to November 2025, LTC reportedly spent £138,475 on legal fees, £25,000 on scaffolding and £11,000 storing unidentified goods.

The local authority released a 2021 structural engineer's report into the collapse in late 2024 after "reconsidering its position".

In December 2025, Martin Crowdy, who lives by the church, told an LTC meeting that he had allowed engineers from Morton to carry out work in his yard. He said he and his wife had since been "at their wits end" and were in danger from falling masonry.

An Information Commissioner's report published during the same month stated that LTC had to provide previously withheld information, including communications with Shropshire Council.