THE demolition of The Cross Hotel in Copplestone is set to get back underway following an inspection and “could take four to five weeks” to finish, Mid Devon District Council has said.

The work, which began on Monday, June 23, had been paused for engineers to assess the crumbling former pub before anything further is done.

More scaffolding was due to be erected this week with the demolition scheduled to restart on Monday, July 14.

“Because of the complexity of the works involved and the proximity to the public highway, it is expected that the works could take four to five weeks to complete with the A377 reopening ASAP thereafter,” a Mid Devon District Council spokesperson said.

Part of the A377’s one-way system through the village has been closed to all vehicles and pedestrians since Friday, April 4 due to fears that what is left of The Cross Hotel could fall down.

The closure from Bassetts Bridge to Bewsley Hill, along with part of Bewsley Hill itself, has been an inconvenience to many, and temporary traffic lights on the open section of the A377 have led to long delays for motorists.

On Wednesday, April 23, Mid Devon District Council announced that the owners had been given six weeks to demolish the former pub, make the site safe and allow nearby roads to reopen.

Then on Friday, June 13, the council said it had given the owners more time and that it was “not possible” to say how long the A377 would stay shut.

But just ten days later, on Monday, June 23, it confirmed initial demolition work had begun.

Then on Monday, June 30, the council said the demolition had been put on hold for further assessment by engineers.

The Cross Hotel also forced a three-week closure of the A377 through Copplestone last August.