Traders welcome Newport street reopening after 10 weeks

The Hub community centre is one of the premises which was affected

Traders have welcomed the reopening of a street which was closed for 10 weeks to allow building work.

St Mary's Street in Newport, Shropshire, was shut because of safety concerns about the nearby Royal Victoria Hotel.

The building has been made safe and the street reopened to traffic on Saturday.

Tom Eley, who runs a bakery on the street, said uncertainty about the length of the closure had been "playing on his mind".

He had opened the week before the street closed and said trade had been down, but Telford and Wrekin Council had kept him informed about developments.

Liz Bickford-Smith, from The Hub community centre, said she thought the centre may have gained more users, thanks to the publicity during the street's closure.

While Bernard Beech, from Gilbeys Antiques, said when the street reopened he took more money on the first day than in the previous five weeks.

"I think that says it all," he said.

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