Rows collapse alert: Chester’s Bridge Street cordoned off amid fears the Rows are about to collapse

Feb 11 2010 by Claire Devine, Chester Chronicle

Rows collapse alert: Chester’s Bridge Street cordoned off amid fears the Rows are about to collapse

A CHESTER city centre street had to be closed yesterday amid fears part of the city’s historic Rows were in immediate danger of collapsing.

Part of Bridge Street was cordoned off at 1.30pm after eight shops at the top end of Bridge Street Row, near the Cross, were given one hour to evacuate their premises after a beam in the building containing the Panasonic store was found to be rotten.

Grosvenor Estate carried out a routine inspection on Tuesday and thought work needed doing but decided it was not urgent.

Specialists were called in yesterday morning to check the findings and Cheshire West and Chester building control team leader John Adcock said the building, built in 1861, was an ‘immediate danger’.

Yesterday Mr Adcock said: “This morning it was looked at again and decided it was more of an immediate problem than was first thought.

“The cracks in the building suggest it has been moving recently which caused our biggest concern.

“We will prop it up and make it safe with scaffolding, after that we will decide how best to proceed.”

As Cheshire Constabulary officers sectioned off the area outside Sayers and the Sushi Bar worried shoppers stopped and stared at the building which had large, visible cracks above the rotting beam leading up to the window.

Several businesses have been affected and the manager of Maya said closure would cost him thousands of pounds during Valentine’s Day weekend, one of the busiest of the year.

A Cheshire West and Chester Council spokesman said: “Priority work to stabilise the 19th century façade of the Grade II* listed building, will be completed before detailed examination can take place.

“The affected area of Bridge Street will be closed to delivery traffic and pedestrians in the immediate future but it is hoped to establish a safe walk-way on the opposite side of the road tomorrow, Thursday.”

Executive member for environment Cllr Neil Ritchie said: “It is impossible to say for certain how long this work is going to take until structural engineers carry out a detailed examination of the building.

“However, at this stage we anticipate stabilisation work could take at least a week or possibly longer.”

The evacuated shops will remain closed until stabilisation of the building has been carried out.

Shops included in the closed off section are: The Sushi Bar, Panasonic, Lowe & Sons, Sayers, Arden News, Principality and Maya.

Marc Menswear was also cordoned off but the shop is not in use.

Grosvenor Estate, which owns the building, is believed to be arranging for surveyors and structural engineers to move in to replace the wooden beam with a metal one.