Listed building consent is being sought for the construction of 12 stiffening piers to the walls of the allotment gardens in Nunnery Lane, Darlington.

Works would also include the rebuilding of upper metre of brickwork and resetting of coping stones to top of the wall.

The allotments site originally formed part of the estate owned by Joseph Pease, and sat within parkland of two mansions constructed in the 1860s.

The application wall adjoins part of Nunnery Lane, and is of varied height, forming a stepped appearance.

In November 2020 the Allotments Association engaged a structural surveyor to inspect the wall due to concerns over its stability.

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The findings indicated the upper sections of a substantial part of the wall were leaning over towards the south, and it was suggested it should either be rebuild or reduced in height.

A subsequent report found the wall was curling, not leaning, and proposed works involves 12 stiffening columns at each step along the wall.

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