During the election campaign, one issue that was regularly
raised with me by local residents was the number of empty and derelict
buildings in Newquay. They are a sad
reflection of the continued impact of the recession on our local economy.
I promised to do all I can, once elected to address this
issue. Although there are no easy, quick, answers it is something I have begun
to address. My team and I have spent some time researching the background to
one of these properties, the Fistral Bay Hotel, which in some ways is symbolic
of the wider issue. This hotel stands at
the entrance to Pentire and is not only an eyesore, but also a health and
safety concern for many people. It
closed about eight years ago and has become derelict in the intervening years.
We have been able to ascertain the current ownership of the
property. The Penpol Group operated the
hotel and this group went bankrupt a number of years ago. The hotel reverted to the mortgage holders
and remains with this company to this day.
I contacted the company and they confirmed that the hotel is
up for sale and has been for many years.
Despite a number of expressions of interest, no developer has yet come forward
with a suitable offer. The current owners also understand that it is their
responsibility to keep the property to an acceptable health and safety
standard.
Despite this information residents understandably remain
concerned about the on-going risks, notably fire, vandalism and the risk of
injury to people attempting to get into the property. The hotel is vulnerable to storm damage and
residents report that in the past boards have been blown away giving easy
access to the site. These boards are replaced,
but some time can pass before this happens.
This week I met with officials from Cornwall Council and
discussed the hotel. They confirmed that
they are seeking to take action by the means open to them, such as compulsory
purchase can be a lengthy and expensive process with no guarantee of success. They confirmed that council planning officers
are open to different ideas for site usage, which should assist in the
disposal.
They further confirmed that while the owners have an
obligation to maintain the site to certain health and safety standards, there
are no legal requirements for aesthetic standards. The Council continues to ensure that the
site is kept safe.
The best solution of course is that a buyer is found in the
near future. As the economy grows the
possibility for this increases. But in
the meantime, I will continue to work to ensure that the health and safety
concerns of the people of Newquay are top priority.
I have offered to pass on residents’ concerns to the owners,
so please feel free to contact my office, so that we can pass your views on. All parties in this story are keen for a
swift and positive outcome so let us hope that such an ending emerges soon.
