Businesses "desperate" for road reopening six weeks after hotel fire
The Angel Inn hotel in Midhurst was destroyed in March
Last updated 27th Apr 2023
Hundreds of people have staged a protest about the closure of the main road through the West Sussex village of Midhurst, six weeks after it was shut because of a major fire.
North Street remains closed to vehicles following the blaze which destroyed the historic Angel Inn hotel on 16 March.
Shop owners have warned that their businesses are "really suffering" because of the road closure.
A statement from Chichester District Council said: "We recognise how difficult this is for both residents and businesses and we are committed to reopening the road to vehicles as soon as we possibly can.
"The agencies must ensure public safety — once the facade of the building has been made secure and safe for the public, it will be possible to reopen North Street to vehicles.
"As the buildings are listed and are of historical importance, it would be illegal for anyone to pull down the buildings without listed building consent.
"The structural engineers involved in assessing the building and Historic England believe it is possible to save some parts of the buildings, and so the owners are legally required to try and save what they can of the buildings."