Repairs to a culvert near Lichfield could cost £100,000.
Running underneath the canal at Huddlesford, the 18th Century culvert has already had minor repairs.
But a visual inspection has now revealed “substantial deterioration” of the structure.
A report, due to be discussed by Lichfield District Council’s overview and scrutiny meeting this evening (January 29), warned that not carrying out repairs could be costly.
“We will be increasing the potential flood risk and exposing the authority to possible claims resulting from negligence,” the report said. “A total collapse is unlikely, but if this did occur it could cause major disruption to the canal network.”
There had been doubts about who was responsible for the culvert, but documentation has now shown that the local authority agreed to take on the structure in the 1980s.
A Capital Programme Bid has now been made in an attempt to secure the funding from the council to carry out the repairs during 2015/16.
