Bury St Edmunds Abbeygate Street Greggs to undergo repairs

Emmerson Marshall-Critchley, who owns Emmerson Critchley Ltd which specialises in restoring period properties, is set to begin work at the Bury St Edmunds Abbeygate Street Greggs store, with scaffolding arriving on Thursday, November 30. 

Mr Marshall-Critchley, who has worked in construction full time since he was 14, said the Grade II* listed building has experienced water ingress from the ground which has caused damage. 

Greggs in Bury St Edmunds Abbeygate Street (Image: Emmerson Marshall-Critchley)

"If you leave it another year it is going to be a lot worse and the work will cost a whole lot more," he said. 

"The task now is to work out what we can repair and what will be a replacement.

"As you see the shop front at the moment, that is how it will be but it will all be stripped back and repaired." 

Emmerson Marshall-Critchley, who will carry out the work (Image: Emmerson Marshall-Critchley)

Mr Marshall-Critchley said Greggs have not held back on anything in the process, which has to be carried out in a special way due to its Grade II* listing. 

"They want it to look how it should and they want to do what's best for the building and what's best for the general public," he said.

"I need to do something that will future-proof the longevity but make sure that I am not deterring away from the characteristics of the building."

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He will now work to pinpoint sections of the building that need replacing or repairing and draw up a plan. 

He said of the project: "I was born and bred in Bury St Edmunds and my passion has always been for historic buildings and restoring and preserving them, so I am glad to be able to do this." 

Greggs has been approached for comment.