New Cut works Council says another £8m needed to make waterway's banks safe

RAPID erosion along the New Cut could threaten lives if the riverbank is not repaired in time, a new report warns. Bristol City Council is seeking to budget an extra £8.2 million to fix walls along the waterway, on top of £10.5 million already spent or allocated for repairs there - but it acknowledges this would only be enough to fund a short-term solution.

- Angus MCINTYRE

Three additional locations have been deemed “emergency sites” which pose a “very substantial risk” in the event of a collapse, on top of 11 sites that the council was already worried about.

The new areas of concern are the river wall between Vauxhall Bridge and Bristol Metal Spraying, the Co-Op Wall east of Vauxhall Bridge and the rock faces near Gaol Ferry Bridge.

“We've already started a programme of stabilisation works to prevent further catastrophic collapses, including repairs near Bedminster Old Bridge and either side of the Banana Bridge alongside York Road, as part of this phase of work,” transport and connectivity committee chairman Ed Plowden said.

“However, our latest inspections show that we need to plan in new emergency works to stabilise the riverbank along Commercial Road and seek funding to invest in further works.”