A huge fire, which took place at a Loughborough bank last week, was started by an electrical fault in the building it has been revealed.
Following the blaze, which took place last Wednesday (March 15), fire officers have concluded that it was an accident, which had been caused by an electrical fault.
The Grade II-listed building, was left with severe damage and the neighbouring Town Hall was also badly affected.
HSBC will be closed for the “foreseeable future,” said Gursh Bassi, HSBC UK’s local director.
Speaking about damage to the building, he said: “I am saddened to report there is significant damage to the roof and upper levels of the property. We will continue to assess what is needed in terms of repair, but it is obvious the branch will be closed for the foreseeable future.”
The bank says it is opening a temporary pop-up branch at Loughborough Library, which will be open on Thursday and Friday, between 10:00 and 16:00 GMT.
It will be working with the council to set up a more suitable permanent location while repairs take place.
As for Loughborough Town Hall, it will be closed until at least Monday, March 27, said a spokesman for Charnwood Borough Council, who revealed that several metres of the building’s roof were damaged by smoke and fire.
However, the authority says preparations are already underway to get the venue reopened as soon as possible.
“Once again we are grateful to the fire service for their prompt action which undoubtedly prevented further damage to the Town Hall. We are also grateful no-one was injured in the incident,” said Simon Gibson, Town Hall manager.
“Our thoughts have now moved to reopening the Town Hall, but inspections of the building have revealed that some work is needed before that can happen.
“We need to make the roof water-tight in the short term and then make more permanent repairs.
“We also need to clean some areas of the building which have received light smoke damage and we need to carry out inspections of the electrical system and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. Those inspections could reveal further work is required but we are taking this one step at a time.
“Reopening the Town Hall is a top priority for us and we are working hard to get the venue reopened as soon as possible.
“The Town Hall is a historic and integral part of the town centre and we would like to thank everyone for their interest and messages of support.
“There is no doubt that we will be protecting and preserving the building’s heritage as repairs are carried out and we look forward to welcoming customers back as soon as possible.”
The Town Hall has postponed shows over the weekend and the extended closure means Beyond the Barricade on Friday, March 24 and 80’s Live on Saturday, March 25 are now also being postponed.
Loughborough Markets are back as normal, apart from some traders who will be standing in different places due to fencing outside the HSBC building.
