A decision is expected shortly on repairs to a collapsed wall on Liverpool Road, Cheshire West and Chester Council has said.

The long-running issue dates back to 2018, when a three to four-metre section of the wall at the rear of Victoria Court collapsed onto the public footway, forcing its closure.

According to Cheshire West and Chester Council, eight independent structural reports have now been submitted by the owners of sections of the wall.

The reports are being reviewed by the council's structural engineer alongside proposed rebuilding plans for the collapsed sections at Nos. 5 and 7 Victoria Court, with an outcome expected shortly.

It follows a meeting in June between structural engineers representing the council and the owner of No. 7 Victoria Court to agree a way forward for the repairs.

Meanwhile, discussions are also continuing with the owner of neighbouring No. 5 Victoria Court to develop a joint repair scheme.

The council said engineers appointed by each owner had concluded that their respective sections of the wall were safe.

Responsibility for repairing the collapsed sections rests with the property owners, the authority added, stating its role is to encourage residents to work together so the footway can reopen.

The update comes after councillors warned that some pedestrians had been walking in the carriageway to avoid the closed footway.

Councillors from Chester City and The Garden Quarter said "the travelling public on Liverpool Road are losing patience" and warned that some people were ignoring the diversion and putting themselves in danger.

They added: "Even though the wall is in various forms of private ownership, the council is being blamed. So let's try to fix the wall, wrap it up and move on.

"Our collective councillor view is that it is clear that the time for action to resolve this issue is now upon us."

The council has not yet given a date for when repair works could begin or when the footway may reopen.

A spokesperson for Cheshire West and Chester Council said: "The Council is grateful for residents' patience as a fair way forward is found through this complex situation.

"The collapsed walls are the responsibility of the property owner.

"The Council's role is to encourage the residents, to cooperatively carry out the necessary wall repairs so that the footway can be reopened."