By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There are questions over the future of a prominent Gloucester city centre landmark amid concerns it is deteriorating.
The closed Station Hotel near the railway station is among the first sights to greet visitors who arrive by train.
London and Wiltshire Ltd’s plans to convert the first and second floors of the Bruton Way building into a 17 bed house in multiple occupation was turned down by Gloucester City Council three years.
But there are concerns now over its current state amid calls for the “important” building to be restored.
Public transport campaigner David Redgewell raised the issue at last night’s council meeting (September 24).
He said rain, damp and mould is getting into the building as not all of the windows are boarded up.
“That building will deteriorate and that hotel needs to be restored,” he said.
He called on the council to force the site’s owners to board it up and make it safe.
“Otherwise we will lose that very historic building at Gloucester Railway Station,” he said.
Then council leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) agreed it was an important building right next to the council’s “massive” investment in the Forum.
“It’s one of those sites you would have thought the owners would start to come up with really good plans to restore and regenerate and possibly repurpose its use.
“We’re still having difficulties with it.”
He said stop notices had been issued because it is a grade II listed building.
“The responsibility for making this building watertight is with the owners,” he said.
He said the council would check again with the owners but said previous conversations had “not been very fruitful”.
Cllr Hilton said he would get to tell the owners they need to secure the building and make it watertight.
“Ultimately, we need a plan for that hotel that is acceptable of high quality and to the fact there is an important structure right next to Gloucester Railway Station,” he added.