The Thames towpath between Richmond Lock and Kew Gardens car park on Ferry Lane is still entirely closed following the collapse of a section of the towpath on Saturday 19 October.

Richmond Council is not the only body with interests and responsibilities in the damaged section, but its actively taken the lead on this very complex project and is working with other relevant parties to deliver solutions as quickly as possible.

In a video created by the council, its Chair of the Transport Committee, Cllr Alexander Ehmann said: "Since [the collapse] our engineers have been working diligently with specialist contractors and also without outside bodies to investigate the cause and to explore both temporary and permanent solutions to this issue."

However, he explains, "working on the banks of the Thames is constrained and incredibly complex and will therefore require a significant amount of expertise, time, and financial investment."

Cllr Ehmann said: "We think this may be a multi-million-pound repair.

"The collapse was likely caused by a combination of high river levels and high winds on the day in question, and to ensure everyone's safety fencing has been installed with a good distance from either end of the affected area."

Richmond Council asks that any residents and visitors do not attempt access to the towpath at any time until it is deemed safe.

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Originally the council's aim was to secure the location

However, now its attention is on the implementation of repairs to reinstate the towpath.

Permanent repair works are expected to start in early 2025 and the council hopes that the towpath will reopen in the summer.

Diversionary signage is currently in place for those looking for alternative routes or you can find details of the routes on the council's website.