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Mayor urges action to open street after cafe fire

Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Gaping holes in roofs of terrace after fire - rubble from the building in centre spills on to the street.Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Firefighters and engines in a street - hoses spray a building and piles of bricks can be seen across the street.Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
Novelist and poet Thomas Hardy worked as an apprentice architect at the Victorian building.
The blaze in Dorchester's South Street swept through The Gorge Cafe and spread to the roofs of neighbouring properties.

A town's mayor has urged those involved with safety checks and a clear-up operation after a cafe fire to "act as quickly as possible" so the area can be reopened.

Flames engulfed the Gorge Cafe in South Street, Dorchester, in December.

The area in front of the buildings affected has remained fenced off as they are still at risk of collapse.

Councillor Robin Potter, Mayor of Dorchester, said while safety was "of course, paramount" it was vital to get the area opened up "sooner rather than later".

The Grade II listed building where Thomas Hardy trained as an architect collapsed further recently.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Mr Potter said: "Safety is, of course, paramount and the need for the extended barriers across the road was demonstrated just recently when the chimney and gable end of the building collapsed in the recent winds.

"However, I would urge all parties to act as quickly as possible to complete the structural surveys and remove the debris so as to enable a pedestrian link to be opened up sooner rather than later.

"It is vital for those businesses who are unable to access their shops to be able to do so soon."

Dorset Council said its building control surveyors had met owners of the building whose structural engineers would now complete survey reports.

"The area which has been cordoned off, will continue to be so until these reports have come back, and we can confirm the building as safe and clearance work of fallen fire damaged material has been removed," it added.

Paved street with buildings either side - scaffolding covers those on the right access is blocked by boarding and plastic fencing.
The area in front of the buildings affected has remained fenced off as they are still at risk of collapse

About 50 firefighters tackled the blaze as it tore through the historic building on 9 December shortly after 03:30 GMT.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service previously said due to the scale of damage it had not been safe to carry out a fire investigation.

The cafe building had a stone plaque on its front wall in the centre of the first floor honouring Hardy.

It stated the novelist and poet trained at the building as an apprentice architect to John Hicks between 1856 and 1862.

It is thought it disintegrated in the fire and subsequent collapse.

No-one was injured in the blaze.

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