A section of Bangor High Street will reopen to traffic next week after being closed for 18 months.
A fire destroyed the Noodle One restaurant and the adjoining Morgan Clothes Shop on 17 December 2019, leaving the buildings in an unsafe state. Scaffolding to support the buildings and associated demolition work has forced part of the High Street, between Bangor Cathedral and Lôn Pobty, to be closed to traffic since the fire.
Engineers responsible for the demolition work, Evans Wolfenden Partnership (EWP), said the condition and position of the fire damaged properties, poor ground conditions and congested services necessitated significant investigation and risk mitigation measures attributed to the delays before the demolition could start.
Technical and legal complexities are also believed to have hampered the start of the demolition work, which finally started in April this year.
A 200-tonne crane was used to demolish the fire damaged buildings, which required additional work of concrete pilings in the road to support the weight of the crane.
Businesses have experienced a significant downturn in trade due to the road closure and problems with deliveries accessing premises, particularly large vehicles.
Jo Pott-Mercer, owner of three businesses in the Pendref area of the High Street, said business owners felt “beleaguered” after 18 months of “being severed” from the High Street.
She said: “There has been no honesty in the approach to this project, no one has taken responsibility for it, laid out a clear plan of action, nor has anyone communicated with the residents and businesses of Pendref to let us know what the plan for demolition & reopening actually was.
“The project has been allowed to drift. Added to the tale of woe, Adra recently closed the road to Lon Pobty traffic to put in new drains. This was essential work, but the filth and dust left behind is shocking.”
Jeff Hopkins owner of Mudshark Records feels his business has been completely let down, he said: “Really after Covid and the road closures can things actually get any worse! I’m totally disgusted with the attitude of people in authority, they don’t seem to care.”
