Urgent work taking place to prevent Chester’s Rows from collapsing

Feb 12 2010 by Naomi Dunning, Chester Chronicle

BUILDERS are urgently trying to stabilise Chester’s Bridge Street Row after an inspection revealed it was in immediate danger of collapse.

The road and Rows were dramatically closed on Wednesday after the routine inspection of the building which houses the Panasonic shop and Sayers revealed rotten wood which could lead to the building’s collapse.

Eight shops were evacuated and forced to close.

On Thursday and Friday scaffolding was erected to help stabilise and secure the Grosvenor Estate owned building.

Cheshire West & Chester Council spokesman Ian Callister said: “It will be monitored over the weekend and examined on Monday to see if there has been any movement. Decisions will then be made about what work will be done.”

The shops closed on Wednesday will remain shut over the weekend and it is thought they will not open until at least midweek.

Panasonic store co-manager David Pinnington, 32, said: “It is disrupting but it is for everyone’s safety, it was necessary to act on it.

“I think we will be affected for longer than the surrounding shops.

“It is estimated we would lose £20,000-30,000 if we were closed for about two to three weeks.”

Grosvenor Estate spokesman Jane Sandars said: “As yet we do not know why the building has deteriorated so rapidly but it may be that the recent snow and bad weather is a factor.”

She added: “We recognise this must be a very worrying and frustrating time for the retailers affected by this and we have been in touch with them all today (Thursday).

“We are doing all we can to resolve the situation as quickly as possible so that they can return to business as usual.”

When Northgate Street Row suffered similar problems it took more than a year to fix. Shops and business which were covered in scaffolding suffered as a result. The Spirit healing centre closed due to financial difficulties caused by the works and fashion store Karen Millen had a significant loss of trade.