As previously reported, part of South Street has been closed for safety reasons following the blaze last month. The closure has prevented access to Hardye Arcade from the street, as well as a section of the street as part of the building has continued to collapse in the wake of the fire.
Now, a meeting between Dorset Council, the building’s owners, structural engineers and loss adjusters has meant that a survey will have to be completed before any works can be agreed.
Once the report is finished, the area will then be assessed as to whether the road can be reopened.
The road has remained closed due to concerns about falling material from the building that was within the safety cordon.
A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: “Dorset Council Building Control Surveyors met with the owners of the building, their appointed structural engineers, and Loss Adjusters to analyse the structural stability of the building. The owner’s appointed structural engineers will now complete survey reports and then a programme of works will be agreed.
“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.
“We were concerned that the large chimney and party wall was going to fall and indeed this has happened, within our safety cordon and the fallen material was entirely contained.”
A spokesperson for Dorset Council said previously that the council’s highways and building control surveyors, along with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, assessed the structures of the café and neighbouring buildings and agreed that the properties were unstable with unsupported chimney stacks and other parts of the buildings that could potentially collapse.
The fire service warned that properties could be demolished after the fire, which happened on December, 9. The cause of the fire remains unknown as the scale of the damage meant that the area was not safe for an investigation by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.