'No progress, no sign of resolution': Newport councillor frustrated as saga of eyesore Royal Victoria Hotel rolls on

The Royal Victoria Hotel in Newport town centre has been surrounded by scaffolding since urgent work began there in November 2024.

Independent councillor for Newport West Councillor Peter Scott told a meeting that the town “needs to know if the end of this interminable saga is in sight.”

Councillor Scott told last Thursday’s (February 27) meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council that the Royal Victoria Hotel, in St Mary’s Street, “continues to be an eyesore that blights our town centre".

“It is good that the council continues to service the scaffolding and the building to keep residents safe but there is little or no obvious progress," he said.

“We are told that a compulsory purchase order has been applied for and that the current owner has challenged it but this was well over a year ago.”

He asked Councillor Carolyn Healy (Labour, Ironbridge Gorge) for an “accurate update on the progress of the Compulsory Purchase Order and an indication of how long the town must suffer this long-rolling saga".

Councillor Healy, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, planning and sustainability, said that “no agreement” was made between the council and the building’s owner.

She told the meeting that the building was in such a “state of disrepair” that “urgent intervention” was needed.

The council has had to procure specialists and consult with the Health & Safety Executive and Historic England over the work, she said.

The council was told that a plan must be developed for what would happen to the building before a compulsory purchase order could be approved.

Councillor Healy said that the council has incurred “substantial costs” on carrying out “emergency work” on the building.

But she said Telford & Wrekin Council would “seek to recover those costs from the property owner”.

Councillor Scott said he has been given “the same answer for 18 months” and he would be “challenging” the council leadership over the issue.

“It is a very disappointing answer,” he replied.

But he suggested that a possible future use of the building could be to provide “supported living” after the council was lobbied by parents over the lack of such housing in the borough.

Councillor Healy said she recognised the disappointment over the future of the building but added that “it’s difficult because of the compulsory purchase process".

On Councillor Scott’s suggestion that the building could be used to provide “supported housing” she said that a part of securing a compulsory purchase order would be proving that the building would have a “viable use”.

She added: “It is something that we would consider.”

After the meeting, Councillor Scott posted on social media that there is no sign of a resolution in sight.

“I received what I called a disappointing answer to my question on the Vic. Pretty much the same as other updates with no sign of a resolution in sight.

“I will keep up the pressure and use other avenues.”

He added: “There has to be an end to this saga!”

He has also written to the local MP and added that on a “positive note my supplementary about using the building for assisted living was received in a positive manner".