Local Authority to Begin Urgent Works on Newport Hotel Amid Owner’s “Toxic Dispute” Claim

A local authority has pledged to commence urgent repairs on a hotel it describes as an “eyesore,” a move the owner characterizes as the latest development in a “toxic dispute” between the involved parties. Roger Brock, who owns the Royal Victoria Hotel in Newport, Shropshire, has been engaged in a conflict with Telford and Wrekin Council concerning the building’s future. Council officials stated that the Grade II listed structure on St Mary’s Street had been allowed to deteriorate, and the planned work is necessary after requests for action were not fulfilled. However, Mr. Brock asserted that the council had imposed unreasonable demands and indicated he would escalate the issue to the government. Mr. Brock previously informed the BBC that delays in developing the site were attributable to planning issues and asbestos, with the situation worsening due to the Covid pandemic. He has expressed a desire for the demolition of the scaffold-covered building, following a report that identified structural damage, which he claimed left him with “no other option.” Nevertheless, the council firmly rejected this proposal, stating it would not permit the hotel to be torn down. The hotel has been labeled an “eyesore” by exasperated local residents. On Friday, the local authority announced that urgent work would be initiated the following week, after several repair notices had been issued without success. The council also indicated its intention to repurchase the building, having previously conducted other maintenance work itself. A statement from the council read: “With no actions or works undertaken by the owners, Telford and Wrekin Council has instructed contractors to carry out vital repairs.” The statement further estimated that “the work will take around 13 weeks to complete and the council will seek to recover all costs from the owner.” In a statement provided to the BBC, Mr. Brock claimed that council leaders had “consciously frustrated my efforts to implement the planning consent for 12 flats that the council passed in 2018.” He stated his intention to write to the Government, requesting intervention or an inquiry. “I have also written to the Secretary of State complaining of the treatment my company has had to endure,” he said, adding that “[The] council’s planning department [is] impervious to any criticism.”