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Businesses unsure when shopping centre will reopen

Lewis Adams
Jon Wright/BBC A shopping centre where there are red barriers blocking the entrance. The name of the centre, Buttermarket, is above the entrance in silver metal letters on a blue background.Jon Wright/BBC
The Buttermarket in Ipswich has been closed over safety concerns about a glass panel

Businesses remain unsure about when a shopping centre could reopen, a week after it was forced to shut.

The Buttermarket in Ipswich was closed on 21 September after the "failure" of a tempered glass panel in the north mall.

Alan Rayner, whose clothes shop is one of the few units allowed to stay open, said the wider site could be shut for another week.

The Buttermarket did not respond to requests for comment, but said it "will reopen as soon as safety measures are in place" on its website.

"We apologise for the inconvenience – the safety of our visitors, tenants, and staff remains our top priority," the statement added.

It is the second time in less than a month the centre has had to close, after a water main burst in August.

Rayner, who runs Twist 'n' Shout, was warned on Saturday that the shopping centre could remain shut for 10 more days.

"They haven't got an issue there, it's just two freak things that have gone on in a short space of time," he said.

"You have to think about the safety of the general public as you don't want anyone to be hurt or killed."

Alice Cunningham/BBC One of the entrances into the Buttermarket shopping centre. The entrance and building is shaped in a semi-circle with a large overhead structure detailing some of the businesses inside the centreAlice Cunningham/BBC
The Buttermarket was put up for sale for £10m in January

Deesigner Hair Studio wrote on its Facebook page that it would not be able to reopen until Saturday "at the earliest".

"We're hoping for a quick resolution so that we can reopen as soon as possible," an automated message on its answerphone said.

Prezzo, New Look, Boom Battle Bar, Omniplex Cinemas, Superbowl UK and PureGym are among the businesses forced to close.

However, Wagamama, Watts Café and the centre's car park remain open.

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