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- A couple of years ago I looked out of my bedroom window and saw several gaping holes in the roof of Newmarket Buildings . This could be an emergency as Costa Coffee and shops in Listley Street were involved, I thought ….so I contacted Costa who visited my bedroom and viewed the roof – with horror. Further detective work revealed the owner was a London hotelier who had bought Newmarket Building with the intention of turning it into a ‘boutique ‘ hotel. I contacted him who said it was all being addressed …or not…. So I then contacted Shropshire Council who sent an employee to view the roof again from my bedroom .. ( at one point I considered giving out tickets )
- Apparently SCC did force the owner to make the building safe and there was some initial activity with builders moving in and out of the building . Over the last few months however there has been little activity and vegetation has once again been allowed to grow on the first level of the building – you can see this by looking up the building from Listley Street. The windows on the first floor have been boarded up But there has been no reconstruction work we can see -at all.
- This iconic Bridgnorth building has an interesting history The Town Council made the same error in the 19th century that the Town Council made in the 21st century – they tried to take control of our 800 year old independent High Street market. They built Newmarket Building with the impression that the smallholders of our High Street market would move into it with little or no objection. They were wrong. The stall holders refused to move- except one little old lady who sold eggs . The rest of the marketeers stayed in High Street. The council were furious and apparently one of the Town Councillors mounted his horse, brandished his whip and rushed up and down the High Street trying to force the stall holders into the building. He failed . Eventually the stall holders took the council to court and won their case . They were not forced to move into the Newmarket Building and the market has continued to be an unregulated and independent market up to this day .
- What can we do with Newmarket Building? A boutique hotel??? I think not. It is obvious that the new owner hasn’t the time and money to spend on this interesting building to make it suitable for our lovely town. Neither Shropshire Council or Bridgnorth Town Council have the inclination or the cash to take this building over. It is slowly and surely disintegrating.
- I see this building as a community hub. Costa could be extended with tables round an interior courtyard. Small offices and shops for local entrepreneurs with a six month low rent limit. Shops with local produce. A Community meeting room .
- Does anyone know a local millionaire with a couple of million to spend on this could be lovely building ?
- Crowd funding?
- Lottery Funding?
- whatever— but with local connections
