Lewes residents worried a historic hotel is falling into 'state of complete disrepair'

Shelleys Hotel, located on the town’s High Street, is owned by the family of property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten and has been closed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

People have taken to Facebook this week to voice their anger at the condition of the16th-century manor house, with concerns expressed about the quality of the roof and the increasing number of overgrown weeds in the hotel car park.

One concerned resident has taken to social media calling on those worried to contact Historic England and ask the organisation to consider adding the building for to its annual Risk Register.

The resident wrote: “We must ensure that this lovely building is not allowed to fall into a state of complete disrepair.

"Anyone who is as concerned as I am about the derelict state of Shelleys Hotel, please write to Historic England. Until it has been registered with them as a building at 'risk”, the local authorities are unable to take any action.”

“Shelley's Hotel is an historic feature of our town and we would beg Historic England to prompt the council to take immediate action to rescue this beautiful building from its current state of abandon.”

The annual Heritage at Risk Register gives an up-to-date snapshot of the critical health of England’s most valued historic places and those most at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.

Many of the sites listed in the past have been rescued thanks to dedicated teams of volunteers, community groups, charities, owners and councils, working together with Historic England.

Historic England says that there is no statutory obligation upon the owner of a listed building to keep their property in a good state of repair. The body also states a lack of maintenance work may be because an owner does not have the resources to be able to carry out the repairs needed, even if willing.

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

East Sussex residents 'furious' at proposed Parliamentary boundary changes

Lewes house prices increased in September

Gender pay gap sees women in Lewes work more than two days for free

It did stress, however, that local authorities can take action to repair a listed building when concerned about its continued conservation.

Historic England said: “Local authorities do have some legal powers to act when it is evident a building is being purposefully neglected, in order to ensure urgent works are carried out to keep the building weather-tight’.

"However, issuing such notices can be expensive and is usually only used as a last resort after efforts to negotiate with an owner have failed. The Local Authority can apply for one of Historic England’s Grants to Underwrite Urgent Works Notices if it meets eligibility requirements. “Unfortunately, we do not have any powers over the Local Authorities to force them into any action, as Historic England is an advisory body to the Local Authorities.”

The historic four-star hotel contained 19 rooms and was a popular destination for tourists, as the building was once the home of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

The High Street property is currently listed as being owned by Messina Properties, one of van Hoogstraten’s companies operating in Hove. Messina Properties have been approached for a comment.

Messina Properties have been approached for a comment.