THE EMERGENCY closure of a section of Chester’s world famous city walls could spell financial disaster for a number of city traders it has been claimed today.
One bookseller fears the setback to his business could be catastrophic.
Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) were forced to close off a section of the city walls between Northgate Bridge and the Kaleyards Gate so that a team of engineers can make emergency repairs.
Officials discovered a structural problem after a wall that is built up against the city walls in Rufus Court became detached.
Businesses around Rufus Court had been told a portion of the walls would be closed off while workers cut back vegetation in order to carry out an inspection.
The canal towpath between those two sections will also be closed from Monday, November 23.
CWaC spokesman Shirley Wingfield said: “There is a structural problem.
“It is no more than four metres.
“It is a wall built up against the city wall in Rufus Court. Work has begun to secure that wall which had become detached from the city walls.”
But Mike Bowden, who runs Gildas Bookstore on the city walls just off Northgate Street and Rufus Court, says the closure of the walls will cause more trade loss than his business could take.
He said repairs come just as the height of the Christmas shopping season gets underway. He and the owners from the adjacent bookshop, Bluecoat Books, knew nothing about the works until a few days before it was due to take place.
“When we finally received a letter it mentions businesses at Rufus Court, but not the two bookshops here on the walls. We think they forgot about us,” he said.
“When they announced this we said that we understand they have to do this, but you have two businesses here whose busiest time is the run-up to Christmas.”
He added: “We asked why they couldn’t leave it to January or February.
“The answer we got was they were initially intending to do it in January, but they discovered some serious damage in the wall.
“We said fine, we understand but if we have to suffer loss in trade, we want compensation. So far we have heard nothing.”
Mike said his shop had been there for more than 20 years. He said: “More than 80 per cent of my trade is people who walk the walls. Because of the recession, we have been sailing so close to the land. If we have anything less than a normal Christmas trade we will shut. This is no exaggeration.”
He added: “We are upset about the lack of consultation, the lack of communication and the lack of compensation.”
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s environment executive member, Cllr Neil Ritchie, said: “The preservation of the city walls are part of the unique character of Chester. Their preservation is extremely important for our heritage and not just for Chester’s but for the UK’s.
“Around 2.5 million visitors walk around the walls every year making it one of Chester’s top tourist attractions.
“We apologise to both residents and tourists for the walls closure however the clearing of vegetation will allow the beauty of the magnificent walls, Roman in origin and added to over the millennia and created from Cheshire sandstone, to be seen clearly once more and exposed for thorough inspection and future maintenance.”
The repairs will continue until Friday, December 18, when that section of walls and towpath will be reopened for the Christmas period.
Both that section of the walls and the towpath will then be closed from Monday, January 4, for a further two weeks.