CAMPAIGNERS have stepped up their fight to get Lyme’s Three Cups reopened as a hotel ahead of fresh talks with its owners next week.

Palmers Brewery will be asking people to comment on possible plans for the long-derelict building at a special consultation day next week.

But none of the options include it returning to its original use as a main street hotel – ruled out as being non viable.

This week officials from the Save the Three Cups as a Hotel Group refused to compromise on their aims and accused the owners of using ‘red herrings’ to rule it out in a bid to make more money from the site.

Palmers are putting forward three options at the meeting. These include providing some letting rooms but rule out any return to the building becoming a complete hotel again.

Other ideas on which people will be asked to comment are: * Ground floor retail use in the building fronting Broad Street with additional retail units at the rear.

* A new restaurant overlooking Lyme Bay, which could attract a celebrity chef.

Palmers stress that all options incorporate residential units, which, they stress, are essential to fund the multi-million pound cost of developing the site.

Representatives will be on hand to explain the options under consideration at the consultation day in the Pilot Boat Inn next Wednesday between 12.30pm to 9pm.

A spokesman said: “The brewery has spent more than seven months consulting with town and district councillors and planning officers to find a future for the site that is both economically viable and benefits Lyme Regis.

“Discussions have also taken place with the Save The Three Cups group.”

This week John Dover, chairman of the Save the Three Cups as a Hotel Group Steering Committee, said they remained committed to securing their objective.

He said: “This is particularly so because we have hoteliers in the wings wanting to buy and reopen the Three Cups as a hotel.

“Our overriding concern is that this iconic building of great historical importance is saved for the future generations of Lyme and beyond.

“Sadly it was in 1928 that Lyme Regis Borough Council decided to allow the destruction of the Assembly Rooms. We do not intend a repeat in which we allow Palmer’s pursuit of financial gain at the expense of the Lyme economy to cloud the proper and beneficial use of this fine old building with its ancient courtyard and garden.

“The TRI report commissioned by Palmers did not state that a hotel was economically unviable.

“The report concluded that the conversion of the neglected and dilapidated Three Cups building to the two hotel options selected by Palmers were unviable.

“Why do other hoteliers remain interested if the hotel option, in Palmers’ view, is a non-starter? Moreover, the WDDC (Goadsby) report had very narrow terms of reference and is only focused on the assumptions and methodology of the TRI report.

“These reasons used by Palmers to rule out a hotel are ‘red herrings’.

“We believe that Palmers have never wanted to reopen the Three Cups Hotel as a hotel.

“When the land at the rear of the building had been stabilised and the time was right they would then proceed to achieve what they wanted to do all along.

“That is to maximise their financial return with predominantly residential accommodation and a project which also entailed utilising a substantial part of the rear of this property.”

* TRI are specialist consultants.