Grand Hotel finally looks doomed

Structural reports have revealed the Grand as it stands presents an immediate danger to the public because of falling masonry and parts of it are at risk of collapsing.

Rother District Council's building control officers have supervised the demolition procedure because the Grand is a Grade II listed building and must by law be preserved if possible. But the listed status is over-ruled by the Public Health Act, which states dangerous structures must be made safe no matter what.

Rother leader-elect Graham Gubby said: "The reports so far have advised that the building should be brought down to ground floor level and then officers and structural engineers will go in and reassess."

But Cllr Gubby says he can't imagine there will be much left worth retaining. He added: "It's not my place to pre-empt the engineers but the forecasts don't look good. We have a legal duty to protect what we reasonably can and we will, but I imagine we will be talking about a new building before too long."

A plan in 2001 to demolish the Grand and redevelop the site into a block of flats was scuppered when English Heritage successfully applied for listed building status on the recommendation of the Old Town Preservation Society.

After that the derelict building, previously named the Granville, fell into disrepair and became a dangerous playground for children and was used by squatters.

The Grand's fate was sealed on Friday February 21 this year when it was gutted by fire in a suspected arson attack. Owner Derek Smith admitted the building was not insured but Cllr Gubby is convinced the site could become an important feature in the regeneration of the town centre through the Hastings and Bexhill Task Force.

He said: "It's no secret that I've wanted a new development on that site for quite a while to benefit the whole community.

"If the Grand is condemned I want to see something new in place in the next two years and that may involve the Hastings and Bexhill Task Force."

Old Town Preservation Society chairman Michael Kent said: "It's very sad but the reality is that it will have to come down. Rebuilding it now would not make economic sense and we have to come to terms with the fact there will be a new building there. It shouldn't have got this far because that fire was avoidable but here we are."

Grand owner Derek Smith said of the demolition: "It's a case of suck it and see. We have to remove the parts which are deemed to be of immediate danger to public safety and then look at what's left. If there are still dangerous parts they have to come down too. "