Thetford Grammar School’s 18-month wait to fix wall could soon be over

The crash left a large gap in the wall but work could start this month. (Image: Archant)

The Grade II listed wall and gates at the back of Thetford Grammar School on Old Bury Road were knocked down by a National Express coach in an accident in January 2012.

But despite a planning application for its repair quickly being approved by Breckland Council last March, delays have been caused by attempts to arrange road closures.

The school's bursar, Phil McGahan, said builders hoped to start work in the next couple of weeks with the gate and wall scheduled to be repaired by mid-September.

To avoid road closures, which had caused delays to repairs starting, construction will take place over three Sundays.

Mr McGahan said: 'The initial assessment was that carrying out the work would involve closing off the bus station as it was too dangerous to have people working in the road with buses pulling out.

'That was a fairly major issue and Norfolk County Council was looking at all sorts of ways of trying to achieve that.

'They would have had to take all the traffic out of the entrance (to the bus station).

'It would have meant temporary traffic lights and bus stops.'

The need to replace the protected wall in the same style has proved a further problem.

Lime mortar has to be used for the gate post and stone work, but Mr McGahan said the mortar could not be used in cold weather.

Work was due to start last October but with the onset of winter and frosts, it had to be put on hold until the weather improved.

Two months ago the repair work was finally put out to tender and the builders have managed to avoid the need for road closures by working on the gate posts on Sundays when no local buses run.

In a planning report to Breckland Council last year, the school said it would like take the chance to improve the wall and gates.

The gate was used by the maintenance department.