Winston Churchill park pergola (FOI)

Request 

For Infrastructure, Housing and Environment (IHE) to provide the engineers report condemning and recommending the removal of the Winston Churchill front garden shelters pergola. 

Response 

The asset manager for the Parks and Gardens team made the decision to remove the pergola following a verbal report from the Site Services team which raised public safety concerns. 

Staff working in the park had noticed that cross beams that make up the top of the pergola were out of position. Upon initial inspection it was clear that they had been intentionally broken away from the frame. The area was immediately cordoned off. 

Further visits showed that the frame was also suffering from a combination of wood rot and UV damage. The decision was made that the safest option was to take the pergola down. 

It should be noted that no engineers report was prepared in this instance.