Historic building owner and council at loggerheads over future of crumbling hotel
A historic building owner ordered to make repairs to a dilapidated town-centre property has hit back a council's attempts to complete a compulsory purchase order on the site.
The Royal Victoria Hotel in Newport has been at the centre of an ongoing row between its owner, Roger Brock of Town Centre Properties, and Telford & Wrekin Council.
The Grade II listed building sits in Newport's Conservation Area and was originally built in 1830.
Planning permission was granted to redevelop the site into flats in 2021 but ongoing wrangles mean the building has been slowly falling into a worse state of disrepair – with the work never being completed.
The council has previously accused Mr Brock of taking 'no action' over the state of the site, but the owner claims the council has frustrated his attempts to redevelop the building.
Speaking in December Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Enforcement, said: "As a council, we have tried on a number of occasions to work with the owner to protect this listed building and bring forward suitable development of the site.
"We are hugely disappointed that the site was mothballed with no maintenance, threatening public safety and the fabric of the building and despite serving a notice to carry out repairs to the building, the owner has taken no action."
