Work on the Grade II-listed No. 10 Church Street has finally begun after an exhausting five-year saga.

On-site renovation works have officially commenced with the meticulous removal of asbestos-containing materials from the site in September.

Treasure and Sons Ltd have been appointed as the lead contractor to spearhead the remainder of the enabling works. The teams are stripping away centuries of modern-day alterations to fully expose the building's hidden historical structure and delicate period features.

Chloe Roberts, Executive Assistant for Thomas Roberts (Westminster) Ltd, who own the building, said “The strip out works are targeting completion by late November.

Phil Munday saying goodbye at a presentation by fellow Church Street traders
(Des Pugh)

Rather than a standard demolition, this process is an architectural excavation designed to reveal the building's original 17th-century integrity. Data gathered from this bare timber framework will directly inform the highly technical design detailing required by heritage officers, a mandatory step before a formal planning application for Listed Building Consent can be submitted to Monmouthshire County Council. The contractor, Treasure and Sons Ltd, is looking at late November for the completion of these strip-out works.

Church Street has been the focus of Monmouth Town Council who have utilized the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and is moving forward with its "Church Street Quarter" regeneration scheme.

Designed by agency Platform One, the installation of decorative iron welcome archways and a bright catenary overhead lighting canopy aims to pull tourists back into the pedestrian lane, counteracting the gloomy footprint of the construction zone.

While scaffolding will remain necessary until structural integrity is fully restored, the transition from administrative gridlock to physical restoration marks the most significant progress at No. 10 for many years.

For ongoing project-related queries or localized business updates, residents and stakeholders are advised to contact the Town Clerk for Monmouth Town Council.