Sarcastic balloons mark two years of road closure

The balloons were tied to fencing surrounding a wall that collapsed during Storm Babet in 2023

Colourful party balloons have been tied to temporary fencing on a road in Derby to sarcastically celebrate the second anniversary of its partial closure.

Fencing and "temporary" traffic lights were put in place in Uttoxeter Road, Mickleover, after a wall collapsed during Storm Babet in October 2023.

Jonathan Shaw, who added the balloons, described his jokey display as "just a bit of fun".

Some residents have expressed frustration over the ongoing closure and Derby City Council previously said a "huge amount of work" was ongoing to find a resolution.

The wall is owned by a third party, the council said, so its powers to intervene are "restricted by private property rights".

A spokesperson for the authority previously said it had entered a legal process with the owner.

Temporary traffic lights have remained near the collapsed wall since 2023.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed earlier this year that it had cost the council £10,000 to lease the traffic lights.

Despite frustrations, Mr Shaw said the balloons had "made a lot of people smile".

Temporary traffic lights remain in place to "keep everyone safe", the city council said

Mr Shaw, who has lived in Mickleover for more than 30 years, said he had also seen a positive side to the situation.

The 57-year-old, who lives off Uttoxeter Road, said he and his neighbours believed the temporary lights had "calmed down" traffic in the area.

"Obviously it's not very visually appealing and there's this ongoing saga - we don't really know what's going to happen or when - but the lights have made a big difference for some of us," he said.

Mr Shaw added the road was "safer for pedestrians" with the lights in place.

In response to the concerns about the traffic lights, the city council previously said: "We understand that the long-term use of temporary signals has been frustrating to some road users, however, these signals have been kept in place to keep everyone safe from any further movement in the wall.

"We will continue to try and make arrangements for the wall to be made safe and for the signals [to be] removed."