Dorset Council’s building control team required the owner to secure the building, and reassurances have been given that it is not a danger to the public. The owner of the building has erected scaffolding that stretches across the road to protect the public, and appointed a structural engineer to advise on repairs.
Dorset Council’s conservation officer has been working with the owner and their structural engineer. The town council has also met with the conservation officer to understand the situation.
The structural engineer’s report is now complete, and discussions are taking place between the owner and their insurance company to resolve the matter.
The owner is in the process of getting two quotes for the work, the first of which will be obtained on Tuesday, and it is hoped a second quote can be obtained by the end of next week. The scale of the works, or when the works will take place, have not yet been determined but it is hoped this will be clearer by the end of next week.
As of 29 November, Dorset Council extended the current emergency road closure by a standard 21 day period. It is not yet known how long the road will continue to be closed as it is dependent on when the owner’s contractor completes the necessary repairs.
Any suggestions which have been made locally about the length of the road closure are purely speculation, and Dorset Council has provided reassurance that the closure will be lifted as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
The town council is meeting with the owner again next week and will then issue a further update.