'Recovery Group' Issues Update On Major Midhurst Hotel Fire

A multi-agency recovery group has issued an update following the major hotel fire at The Angel Inn hotel and neighbouring buildings on the A286 North Street in Midhurst.

The group, which includes Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Fire & Rescue, Midhurst Town Council and the South Downs National Park Authority are committed to doing everything they can to reopen the road to vehicles as soon as possible and support those businesses and residents affected by the incident.

They have stressed that the vast majority of businesses on North Street are 'open for business' and can all be accessed on foot from nearby car parks.

South Downs National Park Authority and Historic England, who need to approve work on listed buildings, have been urgently assessing the report from the building owner’s Structural Engineer to develop a clear plan of action.

Although there has been major damage to the buildings, at this stage it is believed it may be possible to save some parts of the buildings, which are listed and have historical significance.

The group says there is a "a legal requirement to save what we can of these buildings".

South Downs National Park Authority has asked the owners to temporarily shore up the buildings and has given permission to remove the chimneys from the Angel Inn, which are at risk of collapse. This is supported by Historic England.

The Structural Engineers working on behalf of the owners of the buildings affected have advised that this work is likely to take around six weeks from now. However, South Downs National Park Authority is urging the owners and insurers to move this forward as quickly as possible, with the hope that it could be completed sooner. It is thought that the timeline will become clearer over the next week and further updates will be provided.

Once the building has been made secure, it will be possible to open the road to vehicles.

Chichester District Council has arranged two drop-in information sessions for residents and businesses in Midhurst. These will take place on Thursday, April 6 (10am-12pm) and Wednesday, April 12 (2pm-4pm) and will be held at the South Downs National Park Authority offices. Chichester District Council staff from the Supporting You, Economic Development and Social Prescribing services will be on hand to provide information and help.

Chichester District Council has also set up a recovery group with local businesses, which involves meetings, updates, and funding for marketing and promotional purposes to support the town. They are also offering free parking in Chichester District Council car parks in Midhurst until the end of 16 April 2023 and are currently working on other forms of support.

Parking restrictions on-street still apply. People are also being urged not to park in front of the section of North Street that is currently closed, because this is needed for emergency vehicle access.

All of the agencies involved are committed to doing everything they can to get the road reopened to vehicles as soon as possible and helping Midhurst to recover from this dreadful incident. The partners will continue to keep both residents and businesses closely updated on the situation.

(Update issued on Monday, April 3)

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In further news, Chichester District Council has set aside £300,000 to help Midhurst businesses to recover following the fire.

The money will be used in a variety of ways to help the town get back on its feet and encourage residents and visitors to support local businesses in Midhurst.

£200,000 of the funding will be used to create a business grant scheme, which is currently being developed, and a further £10,000 has been allocated to provide training support.

£50,000 will be allocated to support promotion by business groups in the town, including funding any future parking incentives. In addition to this, £10,900 has already been handed over to the Town Team for promotional and marketing purposes.

The remaining funding will be used to deliver a large event in the town later in the year, along with funding towards increased marketing and promotion of the town 

A member of the council’s Economic Development team has also been seconded to support businesses in the town for the next two months and the team has set up a business recovery group involving local businesses from the town. 

The council’s revenue team has also been offering advice to those businesses who pay business rates. The majority of businesses in Midhurst do not pay business rates due to their size and because they receive small business rate relief. However, the council has been in touch with those who do, to make sure that they are aware of all available support to them.

Chichester District Council is also continuing to offer free parking in its Midhurst car parks until the end of 16 April 2023 and is urging residents and visitors to show their support for the town.

All of the agencies involved in the recovery process are committed to doing everything they can to get the road reopened to vehicles as soon as possible and helping Midhurst to recover from this dreadful incident. Regular updates are being issued and these can be found at www.chichester.gov.uk/latestnews