Roof at the former Quayside building in danger of collapse

The building on North Side has stood empty since the homeware business closed in 2014 due to the costly repair work needed.

In a planning application, on behalf of clients North Quay Holdings, architect Andrew Male said the roof was made of asbestos sheeting on a wooden structure.

‘This roof has been a constant maintenance problem and the maintenance is very restricted due to the extent of the asbestos sheeting,’ he said in the application.

‘Therefore, over the years, this has led to decay in the supporting timber structure, which has now reached the stage where it is in danger of collapse, which would also lead to uncontrolled damage to the asbestos sheet roof.’

The perimeter granite walls will remain, as would the heritage buildings at the eastern end of the site.

Mr Male said it was important the roof was taken down in a controlled way to reduce the risk of contamination.

‘Our client would like to progress this work as soon as possible this summer, to avoid the structure having to survive another autumn,’ Mr Male said.

The application includes photographs of the inside of the structure. One shows how a column has failed on the north side, which has caused the valley beams to distort and drop. They are now resting on a temporary mezzanine.

There are holes in the roof, with daylight clearly visible, and evidence that roof beams have split.

Vale senior constable Richard Leale said the parish was keen to see something done with the site. In the past it has suggested that it would be a good site for shops, with apartments above. He welcomed the latest application with caution.

‘It’s a first step for something happening,’ he said.

An application was made in 2016 to demolish the building and erect three retail units. The application was granted, but the work was never carried out and the permission has now lapsed.

. The latest application can be viewed at https://www.gov.gg/liveplanningapplications.