Blaze-hit hotel near Bridgnorth to be rebuilt by new owners
A hotel near Bridgnorth which was destroyed in a massive blaze is to be rebuilt as a hotel again, creating 50 new jobs, its new owners have revealed.
Husband and wife Ben and Sarah Reeves have pledged to spend £2 million restoring the fire-ravaged Mill at Alveley to its former glory – on top of the £490,000 they spent buying the site at auction last week.
The remains of the hotel, which was destroyed in a huge fire on May 18, will be demolished and rebuilding work is not expected to start until next year.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, according to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The hotel was a popular wedding venue until it closed suddenly in September last year and its parent company Elysian Care Ltd went into administration.
Mr Reeves, who along with his wife runs wedding venue operators Ensarb Ltd, said: "We take over as owners of the Mill on August 25 when contracts are exchanged, then we will start to develop our plans.
"We want to rebuild the site as a hotel, but at the moment we don't have any designs or plans in mind, it all has to be decided. We expect to start consultations with the council before Christmas, then we can get to work and we have earmarked £2 million for the project.
"But as a first step it looks like we will have to completely demolish what is left of the property before any rebuilding work is done.
He added: "The Mill has great potential and has all the things you need to make a venue work. It's in a great location and has great transport links, the sort of things that are essential for any business that people have to get to."
A spokesman for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The next stage of the investigation is a structured de-brief involving all the fire officers involved in the incident and those from other emergency services."
