Stonemason hired to repair Ludlow's Buttercross after lorry crash
A stonemason has been hired to repair a Grade I-listed building that was smashed into by a 46-ton lorry.
Ludlow's 250-year-old Buttercross building in King Street was hit earlier this month. It is believed it was driven into by a lost truck driver, trying to get around the overnight closure of the A49.
There has been a road closure in place, but Ludlow mayor Tim Gill pledged that civic leaders would try and make sure the work is done quickly.
He said: "The town council’s insurer visited the site last week and has since selected a contractor. The schedule of works for the Grade I-listed building has been approved by Shropshire Council’s conservation officer, who will oversee the works.
Initial work will introduce supporting structures and one large block of stone to help reinforce the stability of the building.
Grinshill stone will need to be quarried and prepared to complete the works. The final stage including the quarrying of the stone will take a number of weeks. The town council is in talks with Shropshire Council to explore options that might ease the disruption to local businesses. One option being discussed is the temporary reversion to the two-day-a-week road closure until the works can be completed, but this is dependent on experts being satisfied that the building would not be put at risk.
