Stretch of Shrewsbury's historic Fish Street to be shut for nine months
Part of a town centre street will be closed to pedestrians and vehicles for around nine months while a historic building is repaired.
A small section of Fish Street in Shrewsbury will be closed from Monday to allow essential repairs to be carried out to the grade II* listed Bears Steps building, Shropshire Council said.
The building suffered significant damage to the timber frame when a vehicle crashed into it last summer.
To enable the repairs to be carried out and for the building to be supported adequately, scaffolding will be put up across the width of Fish Street and this will replace the propping which was installed as an emergency measure when the defects were identified.
Around 20m of the road will be closed next to the Bear Steps building.
Grope Lane will remain open as will the steps from Fish Street to St Alkmund’s Place which run underneath Bear Steps.
The coucnil said the road is expected to stay shut until at least November due to the complexity of the repairs and the statutory process which must be followed.
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for assets, economic growth and regeneration, said: “The repairs to the timber frame will be complex and the councils’ Property Services Group is working closely with conservation architects and engineers to develop an appropriate design to be agreed with Historic England, with the repairs then carried out within a realistic timescale.
‘We appreciate people’s understanding and cooperation whilst these essential repairs are carried out.”
Signage will be put in place by Shropshire Council’s highways team, and letters are being delivered to local residents and businesses in the vicinity of Fish Street to advise them about the work.
