1 week Ago
Northgate Street has been closed since Tuesday, November 12, when a fire destroyed the Kebab and Pizza House. Pictures have shown the state of the building days after fire ripped through it and Wiltshire Council has deemed the site “structurally unsafe”. Safety work remains ongoing following the departure of emergency crews on Wednesday morning, and an order to close Northgate Street has a maximum length of 21 days.
In an update to residents, Cllr Iain Wallis has now confirmed the closure, which stretches from New Part Street to The Market Place, is expected to remain in place until at least Monday, November 18. It may then be replaced by traffic lights as work continues. READ MORE: Three stores raided over 'illegal' goods as more details emerge The closure (Image: Trevor Porter) He said: “I’ve spoken with highways, and they tell me that the road closure will definitely be in place through the weekend into early next week.
“It’s really important that the utilities companies have been there, they’ve disconnected the supplies, the surveyors are looking at the site and are coming up with a plan. “Highways are looking to move to traffic lights after the weekend but definitely the road closure will be in place until Monday so please do avoid the area.” Cllr Wallis also warned residents not to remove the ‘road ahead closed’ signs that have been placed on Long Street, after highways reported that an individual had moved them.
“Please do not do this, it is really important those signs remain in place”, he added. “We need to stop through traffic travelling into The Market Place, it will cause absolute chaos if all the traffic is going down there and then having to turn around.” The rear of the building (Image: Trevor Porter) Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service had crews at the scene for over 24 hours extinguishing the initial blaze and then battling pockets of fire.
The fire service has now handed responsibility for the site over to the council. A spokesperson told this paper they believe the fire was started accidentally but that they may not be able to confirm a cause due to the extensive damage. They added: “We have now left the scene, after a reinspection and dealing with some hot spots this morning.
“The road closure now sits with Wiltshire Council due to the instability of the building. “We believe the fire started accidentally but we may not be able to specify a cause, given the damage.”.
