Historic building gutted by fire may be demolished

The building was home to a kebab shop and accommodation above

A historic Wiltshire building that was gutted by fire last year may now be demolished after experts found it was too badly damaged to save.

The fire tore through the Devizes listed building, which included a kebab shop on the ground floor and accommodation on the floors above, in November 2024.

Dozens of firefighters battled for 14 hours to contain the blaze, which spread to buildings either side of the property in Northgate Street.

The owners have now applied for permission to demolish the building, which dates back to the late 1700s, but intend to rebuild the property subsequently. A decision by Wiltshire Council is expected in September.

A report by Devizes-based surveyors Dolman says the fire "caused devastating damage with little of the original building remaining apart from the front and rear walls".

Structural engineer Lark Cooper Red said, "nearly all the internal structure" had been "affected by the fire, making it no longer fit for purpose".

The application says once the demolition stage is complete a second application will be made to rebuild the property.

The owners believe the two-stage approach will be of greatest benefit to the community as the building is unsafe in its current state and has necessitated the closure of one side of Northgate Street – an important access route to the town centre.