TWO councils are continuing to shift responsibility for repairing a 40ft stretch of wall falling into the road in Wantage.

Residents fear the wall, by a footpath in Wallingford Street, might not be repaired for years because of confusion over ownership.

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) closed the path in January after Vale of White Horse District Council’s builders expert found it was unsafe.

The Vale said it was the county’s responsibility to find the wall’s owners to gain payment for the repairs.

Now, OCC says it owns half the wall, but leases the land it is part of to the Stirlings Care Home, which is carrying out repairs, and the Vale is “in discussion” with the private owners of the other half.

But the Vale has refused to comment to the Oxford Mail about who the owners are or what discussions are taking place.

Wantage town councillor Jenny Hannaby said: “For 10 years we’ve been trying to get someone to look at this wall, but it has got worse in the last five. If they couldn’t find out who owns it in the past five years, how are they going to do it in the next five?”

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