Do you know who owns this wall?

MYSTERY surrounds the ownership of a damaged wall in Lisnafin Park in Strabane after three government agencies told this newspaper that they are not responsible for its repair.

The damaged wall is located on the left side of the road as you enter Lisnafin Park. Currently, the tumble-down wall is blocking part of a pedestrian walkway and is in severe need of repair.

Local community group Lisnafin/Ardnalee/Trust CCDA wrote to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), Housing Executive, and Derry City and Strabane District Council. All three agencies confirmed that the wall is not their responsibility to repair.

In a statement to the Chronicle DfI stated, “The Department only adopts a wall if it is retaining either the carriageway or footway. In this instance, this is a decorative wall retaining a flower bed and is not adopted. The Department is therefore not responsible for repairing the wall.”

The Housing Executive also said, “The wall is not in our ownership.”

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council stated, “Council can confirm that it does not own the wall so maintenance of it does not come under our remit.”

A spokesperson for the Lisnafin Ardnalee Trust CCDA said that someone needed to take responsibility for the repairs of the wall and that it was becoming a ‘health and safety’ hazard.

They said, “No one is taking responsibility for this wall but someone should be charge of its repair. The council mow the grass behind the wall and the Housing Executive looks after flowers in a bed behind it.

“It is becoming a health and safety issue and someone could trip and hurt themselves.”