BACKING has been thrown behind plans to repair a Herefordshire building which was in such poor condition it forced a café to close.

La Gala café in Kington had to close down due to the unsafe structure of the ground floor and supporting timbers below, with flats above.

The building, 19-20 High Street, now needs the cellar flood excavated and a concrete floor slab on cavity damp-proof membrane installed to repair it.

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Applying to Herefordshire Council for listed building consent, a design and access statement said the damp-proof cavity membrane would continue up the walls of the cellar and there would be the installation of concrete blockwork supports to structural timbers, drainage channels to the cellar perimeter and sump and pump.

Applicant Mrs T Cadogan has since heard back from Herefordshire Council planning officer Kam Roopra saying the application should be approved.

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The statement, by consultant Ben Payne of local firm BRP Architecture, said an initial repair with the ground floor chipboard flooring has, on further investigation, been found to be caused by significant dampness in the cellar.

This means the supporting timber posts have severally rotted, affecting the whole building. He said the dampness has been caused by regular flooding of the cellar, destroying the ground floor chipboard flooring in multiple places.

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Planning officer Kam Roopra said the proposal for the removal of the existing floor and the replacement with new and the replacement of rotten timber beams with concrete should not harm the character of the building and the use of the building will remain unchanged.

As such, they said the application should be approved, with backing from Kington Town Council.