Debra Lock, the owner of Deco Cafe on Albert Road, has this afternoon cordoned off an area of pavement beneath a cracked piece of first-floor lintel considered potentially dangerous by multiple informed sources.

She says she is doing so to protect the public until the Vale of Glamorgan Council erect their own barrier.

Mrs Lock is also continuing to withhold rent from landlords Royal Mail until she sees evidence that the lintel is safe.

Yesterday, almost five months after a large concrete block dislodged from the lintel, Royal Mail for the first time sent surveyors inside to assess the threat posed to the public.

The surveyors acknowledged the potential danger (evidenced by cracks and internal spalling) and will recommend that repair works be carried out following further investigation.

This comes a week after Nub News revealed that informed parties - including a local architect and a Barry contractor - consider the lintel to be in urgent need of repair.

The story so far

Read this article for our full investigation.

The lintel failed on 7 December 2020 after being inadequately repaired in March 2020. A concrete block fell to the ground directly where people stand to post letters, reportedly almost striking an elderly gentleman.

Four months later, on 6 April 2021, Royal Mail (who own the building) sent contractors to repair the area from which the concrete dislodged.

Both the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Royal Mail said they were satisfied with the restoration after sending inspectors to assess the building from the outside.

But Mrs Lock demanded to see evidence that other areas of the lintel were structurally sound.

Google Maps photographs taken in 2019 reveal severe cracking in the area above the entranceway. Nub News understands that this area received the same inadequate repair work as the area that ultimately failed in December.

Mrs Lock commissioned Nigel Arnold, a local architect, to inspect the building. He said there "is a clear and evident danger that at any point, a portion of the loosened construction could fall away and seriously injure (or worse) any person who may be below it at the time."

Mrs Lock then vowed to not reopen or pay rent until action was taken.

"My concern only is getting this building safe"

On 26 April, Mrs Lock was informed that Royal Mail had decided to send a "building surveyor with a view to designing repair works to the property."

Nub News spoke to the surveyor, employed by Faithful and Gould, while he was inspecting the lintel area.

The surveyor declined to provide an official comment but expressed concern about the condition of the lintel and said action will be taken as a matter of urgency.

"I am absolutely delighted that 1) someone finally listened to how concerned I am for the public walking past and 2) that I might be able to start trading again in the future," Mrs Lock told Nub News.

"Why it's taken them five and a half months I don't know, because people are at risk.

"I think they're reacting to [Nub News'] last piece and me telling them over and over that people are afraid of the building being dangerous."

Mrs Lock takes issue with the time scale given for possible repair works. She has been told it will take "a number of weeks" for repairs to be designed, costed and authorised.

"I'm really not surprised it's taking Royal Mail this long, but the lack of urgency from the Council to cordon the area off is unbelievable.

"If they won't protect the public, I will," she added, while setting up her makeshift barrier.

Mrs Lock says Vale of Glamorgan Council Building Control have not engaged with her as they are not at liberty to discuss such matters with a tenant.

Questioned on the legality of blocking off a public right of way with her barrier, Mrs Lock said:

"Well it's better than someone getting killed. I hope someone from Building Control comes down to tell me off, at least that way they'll have to come down and have a look.

"You'd think that after dodging a bullet the first time everyone would be rushing over to sort it out, but people are still walking underneath all the time and it scares me to death," she continued.

"The bottom line is, my business cannot reopen until somebody puts it in writing that the render is okay.

"I just need to know that the building is safe for members of the public and my lovely customers."

Nub News is awaiting comment from the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Royal Mail are yet to respond to our request for comment submitted last week.