Shopping street reopens months after cafe fire

A shopping street that has been closed since fire tore through a cafe four months ago has partially reopened.

Dorchester's Gorge Cafe was completely destroyed and neighbouring buildings were damaged in the blaze on 9 December.

Contractors and engineers have been working to stabilise the remaining structures but the closure has left nearby businesses counting the cost.

On Friday afternoon, a path was re-opened through the affected part of South Street, allowing shoppers to walk through and for stores to reopen.

Speaking to Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show, Neil Strudwick, owner of Goldcrest Jewellers, said: "The footfall is going to go up. We can't wait to get back open again and get back to normality.

"A lot of South Street is niche, independent businesses.

"We're really looking forward to getting this street open as soon as possible."

Michael Quinn of Quinn's Butchers in the Hardye Arcade said a significant proportion of his business came from passing trade.

"We've dropped at least 25% of our customers and we are looking to get them back now," he said.

Dana Kareem of Mina's Deli said: "It did have a big impact because it happened in December, the busiest month of the year, and it took a while for people to realise we were still open."

The Grade II-listed, terraced building, where novelist Thomas Hardy trained as an architect, was destroyed in the fire and collapsed further several weeks later.

Andrew Faber, of Jordan and Faber contractors, said his company had been working to make the area safe, erecting complex scaffolding to support the damaged buildings.

He said: "We've had nine weeks to get to where we've got to.

"I appreciate the public wanted it open as soon as possible but safety was the number one priority, for the guys doing the work and for the public."

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