There are plans to make good the Art Nouveau glass canopy at the High Street entrance to The Corridor in Bath after inspectors branded it “badly degraded and unsafe”.
The canopy at The Corridor has been temporarily boarded up
Following concerns raised by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s head of heritage services in 2020 about the canopy opposite the Guildhall, structural engineers confirmed there was some corrosion but that the steel beams below the glazed roof appeared to be in “reasonable” condition. Refurbishments were recommended.
But a follow-up structural inspection report produced earlier this year revealed that the Grade II-listed canopy has further degraded and has become “unsafe with failed critical structural components”.
It is currently being held up by scaffolding and enclosed by timber boarding.
The Corridor dates from 1825, and the canopy, which is six metres wide and three metres deep, was added 102 years later.
The recent report says: “As with any structure that is neglected, there comes a time where the intended function is compromised and potentially catastrophic failure can only be averted by major intervention, things can only hang by a thread for so long.
“Given the prominence of the structure as both a decorative and functional feature to one of the oldest retail arcades in the country, it is assumed that it would not simply be removed as no longer fit for purpose and that every effort would be made to restore the structure back to its intended form and function.
“In order to achieve this and due to the interconnectedness of all the components, it is inevitable that the majority of the components will need to be dismantled.”
Both planning and listed building consent are being sought from the council by applicant Conegate (2006) Ltd to remove, repair, refurbish, and, where necessary, replace “corroded and dangerous elements” of the canopy.
The report says that while the scaffolding “is a necessary public safety requirement, it is causing significant harm to the businesses at 18 and 19 High Street”.
Running Bath is at No. 18 and Society Café occupies No. 19.
The deadline for comments on the proposals is 4th July.
