Lyme Regis Town Coumcil still waiting for hotel reports (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)
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Lyme Regis Town Coumcil still waiting for hotel reports
12:00pm Friday 28th September 2012 in Lyme Regis By Rene Gerryts
PLANS: Three Cups Hotel
LYME Regis Town Council says it has been waiting since August for Palmers Brewery to pass on documents relating to the Three Cups Hotel.
And without the detail in the 40-page statements councillors don’t feel able to make recommendation about the long-empty and derelict building.
Councillors also want a report from the Save the Three Cups group on its work on the building’s heritage.
Chairman of the pressure group John Dover talked to councillors on the strategy and policy committee last week hoping for a clear statement of support from the council to save the hotel.
Palmers is planning to consult the public on its ideas for the landmark hotel in Broad Street in either October or November and put in a planning application next May or June.
Councillors might want the detail in Palmers’ report but they were clear on not wanting to lose any more hotel rooms in the town.
Coun Rikey Austin, pictured, said: “I would like to see the hotel re-open.
“We can’t afford to keep letting beds go.
“If we can’t preserve a building with that much history and heritage on our high street what can we protect?
“As a council we have got to take a strong line.
“It is about time we started acting in the best interests of this community, and that is to preserve and move forward with our strengths, which is tourism. If we lose our high street and if we lose tourism, we don’t have another industry to take its place.
“People lose their jobs, property prices will drop – it is happening in other communities.”
Coun Mark Gage agreed.
He said: “We do have an iconic building in the centre of our town that has stood semi-derelict for more than 20 years and that is an absolute disgrace.”
Coun Sally Holman said she would like to see the council’s position on the Three Cups ‘toughened up’.
Coun Anita Williams said bed spaces and the state of the building were separate issues.
She said: “I suspect if Palmers were allowed to take the building down, a major hotel would probably build a hotel there tomorrow.”
Coun Lorna Jenkins made a plea for Palmers to do remedial work on the front of the building before the winter to stop it crumbling.
The council agreed to put pressure on Palmers for their report and get one from the pressure group before formulating its recommendation to full council.
