A LYME Regis guesthouse will miss out on getting the coveted five stars because of the ‘squalor’ of the neighbouring Three Cups Hotel, says its owners.

David and Anna Parker say their guests at Sea Tree House are getting ‘hard hat holidays’ instead of a stay in luxury holiday apartments as promised in the brochure.

The couple say they have watched as the derelict Three Cups Hotel next door has ‘disintegrated’ in front of their eyes.

Hotel owner Palmers Brewery recently announced plans to revamp the building with a restaurant, shops, and apartments.

Mr Parker, who is also chairman of the Lyme Regis and District Hotel and Restaurants Association, said: “The squalor of the Three Cups entrance and surrounding area is a continuing disgrace.

“Every week I personally have to sweep up a collection of stone, cement, dust and pigeon mess and feathers from the disintegrating wall of the Three Cups, and occasional slates falling from its roof.

“I have to assure guests they are not in a war zone but on the way to their beautiful four star apartments as promised in the brochure.

“The neglect and dereliction of the hotel is disgraceful and is ideal for colonies of pigeons and the potential for rats.”

But more worrying for Mr and Mrs Parker is the long-term impact this is having on their business.

Mr Parker said: “The Tourist Accommodation assessor last week marked us down on our ‘environment’ – sadly preventing us from going for the five star rating we had planned.

“And with risky guttering – most of the other guttering on the Three Cups has collapsed, or could well do soon – probably the assessor should have been wearing a hard hat too.”

Nigel Jones, Palmers’ commercial property agent at Humberts Commercial, has insisted the development is moving forward.

Mr Jones said: “I think Mr Parker’s comments are a little exaggerated. As he knows, and as we have made abundantly clear, we have a carried out all the repairs we have been asked to and are in the process of progressing a planning application for re-development of the site.

“That is an on-going process. Architects have been appointed, we have had initial meetings with the district council and we are moving forward as quickly as we are able to do so.”

Mr Parker has called on West Dorset District Council to take action immediately. He said: “Recently we have had hotel pipes collapsing.

“Even with the intervention of our MP Oliver Letwin it took the council not 24 hours, but around six weeks to sort one pipe out.

“I am so utterly disillusioned with the complete lack of teeth that the council is prepared to show with owners Palmers.”

Mr Parker said he has offered district council leader Robert Gould, chief executive David Clarke, and planning and environment director David Evans more than 20 dates and times to visit the site and see the situation for themselves.

He believes the council should compulsory purchase the building within the next two months and sell it on to the ‘many potential hotel owners’.

He said: “Why is it that the district council appears to apply different rules to a large and influential organisation like Palmers, allowing them to get away with things a small business like ours would not be able to?”

West Dorset District Council’s director of planning and environment, David Evans, said: “We will be making arrangements to meet with Mr Parker to discuss his concerns.”

Mr Parker said he would keep News readers informed if the council officers are prepared to make the ‘long overdue’ visit.