After almost five years of no action it appears one of Helston's long-standing eyesores could finally be about to get fixed.

It is a day many living in Godolphin Road had almost given up hope of ever seeing, following the collapse of part of a boundary wall back in late 2015.

A section of the pavement in Godolphin Road has been blocked ever since, with the landslip propped up with large rubble bags that has resulted in a narrowed access for pavement users.

In October 2017 residents threatened to stage a sit down protest as a last resort, over fears of a “disaster waiting to happen.”

There were particular concerns over the safety of a visually impaired resident of Helston who regularly walked into town via that pavement, as while the pathway could be navigated by one person at a time it was not so easy for someone with sight loss.

They were also upset at having to look out onto the view for, at that stage, almost two years.

Falmouth Packet:

Just some of the residents who were angry at the continuing poor state of the wall in Godolphin Road, back in 2017

That time has now more than doubled, but after much toing and froing between Helston Town Council, Cornwall Council and the land owners, a planning application for repairs has been submitted.

This is for "remedial work to a partially collapsed retaining wall at the rear of the property" at Rosenithon in Sanctuary Lane. The back garden of the property goes down as far as Godolphin Road, and it is the retaining boundary wall that collapsed onto the street below.

The application shows plans for repair work that would include rockfall protection netting, a biodegradable 'erosion control mat' and four rows of aluminium bronze 'anchor heads' to be driven into the earth, in a bid to prevent such an event from happening again.

It also states that the wall would be rebuilt using stones from the existing collapsed wall.

Read next: Cornwall Council responds over Godolphin Road wall collapse

Project engineer Ross Park, with Exact Structures, has written in a supporting statement: “An approximately six mete length of an existing four and a half metre high retaining wall has collapsed.

“The wall is currently propped up by a number of dumpy bags, filled with the collapsed material.

“The existing wall comprises a one metre high stone wall with a steep vegetated slope behind.

“The intention is to stabilise the slope with ground anchors, a biodegradable control mat and rockfall protection netting.

“The lower stone wall is to be rebuilt using the existing stones.”

Helston Town Council's planning committee has recommended approval of the plans and committee chair Miles Kenchington said the decision was likely to be made under devolved responsibility by a planning officer at Cornwall Council.

"Hopefully we will know within the next two weeks," he told town councillors when they met on Thursday.

The town council has regularly pushed for updates on what enforcement action Cornwall Council was taking on the matter.

Falmouth Packet:

Someone decorated the wall over New Year 2019, to draw attention to the length of time

Cormac had previously stated there was a "distinct possibility" that any work on the wall could cause further collapse and that technical approval would be needed to proceed.

It was added at the time, also in October 2017, that the issue had been "chased vociferously and ultimatums have been given to the owner of the wall" by Cormac and that the matter, at that time, had been passed to Cormac's Cornwall Council counterparts, for advice on how to proceed or take enforcement.

Just before Christmas 2018 Helston's deputy town clerk Pamela Lavelle was given authority by councillors to contact the relevant departments at County Hall and "demand the reinstatement of the collapsed wall and that the costs be recharged to the property owners."

However, in a meeting of the planning committee at the start of February 2019, Miss Lavelle said that she had received a response from Building Control, outlining the limitations of the department's powers.

Over New Year 2019 someone actually decorating the rubble bags over the new year with balloons and a sign stating "Three years and counting", as a visual reminder of how long the problem has gone on for.