A main road into Shrewsbury town centre has been closed to allow the demolition of a building which is in imminent danger of collapsing.
A structural engineer inspected the property at 110 St Michael’s Street on Thursday afternoon, with Shropshire Council saying immediate reaction is required.
Due to the deteriorating state of the building’s structure and the likely danger to the public, the property’s owner has confirmed that the building can be demolished.
The property, which is not listed and had a number of rented rooms, has been evacuated and the residents have been put into emergency accommodation or are staying with family members.
Shropshire Council is working with the building owner to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
Demolition of the building would take a number of days to organise due to the complexity of the building construction and the need to safeguard both the public and other properties while work is undertaken.
It is anticipated that the work to demolish the building will take up to 14 days to complete and a section of St Michael’s Street between the Flaxmill roundabout to New Park Road will be closed to through traffic during this time.
Councillor Ed Potter, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economic growth, regeneration and planning, said:
“The council has taken immediate action because we have a building on a main road in imminent danger of collapsing. Considering the danger to the public, safety must come first and we have agreed to allow the building’s demolition and hope that this can happen as quickly as possible.
“We appreciate this will lead to some disruption for residents and businesses in the area and trust they will understand the urgent nature of this.
“We hope that any disruption can be kept to as short a period as possible and we will keep residents updated via our website and social media.”
Road Closure
A section of St Michael’s Street between the Flaxmill roundabout to New Park Road is closed to through traffic until the demolition is complete.
Traffic is being diverted via New Park Road and Sultan Road but the roads are likely to be very busy and drivers are recommended to avoid using these roads if possible.
Alternative routes for through traffic have been signposted via (out of town) Coton Hill and Ellesmere Rd and (into town) via Telford Way, Pritchard Way, Bage Way and Old Potts Way.
There will still be access for anyone needing to get to their home or business along St Michael’s Street for the period of the closure.
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