Pedestrian Route Shut Following Large Tree Collapse onto Historic Wall

An alley in a Norfolk town has been closed to the public following the collapse of a large tree onto a historic wall, leading to “massive safety concerns.” Winds from Storm Darragh during the weekend caused a tree to fall onto a pedestrian path situated off Littlefields in Dereham. Photographs depicted the tree’s substantial trunk resting on a Grade II-listed wall within Wakes Lane alley, positioned south of Guildhall Gardens. Officials from Norfolk County Council stated that they had “visited the scene and made it safe.” Local resident Michelle Baker commented: “When I first saw it I thought ‘that’s a big tree’. “A lot of people use that alley, especially elderly people and school children and it is near the care home – it is a massive safety concern.” The tree’s collapse occurred during a weekend marked by numerous weather-related incidents across both Norfolk county and the wider UK. The council reported that its out-of-hours highways team processed approximately 200 calls concerning over 100 fallen trees and several instances of flooding. The Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service additionally responded to various incidents, such as unsafe structures resulting from roof damage and hazardous power cables. Graham Plant, the cabinet member responsible for highways, infrastructure, and waste, remarked: “Despite the harsh weather conditions our teams were fully resourced and prepared.” He added: “We had 15 crews working round the clock dealing with the consequences of the storm.” Plant further stated: “It’s at times like this we realise just how important our out of hours highways service in keeping residents safe when travelling across the county.” Leaders at Breckland Council, the proprietors of the land adjacent to the tree’s fall location, confirmed their awareness of the incident. A spokesperson for the council stated: “We are aware that the tree has come down in Dereham. The pathway has been closed by Norfolk County Council for safety reasons and we’re currently speaking with our partners to ascertain next steps.” For updates on Norfolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.