Urgent works to the portico of the Rose and Crown hotel in the Tonbridge have been requested by Tonbridge and Malling’s Building Control, giving the owners seven days to comply to avoid legal action.
A structural report commissioned by the owners, and shared with the council, assessed the works required to the building and identified a number that require urgent attention. These included repairs to the portico that could pose a risk to the public if not acted on now.
The council now requires that under Section 77 of the Building Act 1984 (Dangerous Structures), the owners are required to carry out the identified actions without delay to reduce risk to the public. The works are be carried out within seven days, and the hotel’s failure to do so will result in the council making an application to the Magistrates Court to act on the matter.
Further works are also urgent to the column’s flat roof and the shield/coat of arms that have been identified in a recent listed building notice. If necessary, the council will also pursue these through the courts.
Cllr Adem Mehmet, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Tonbridge Regeneration explained:
“The council has been in regular contact with the owners at the Rose and Crown hotel and we are pleased to see that a report has now been produced that sets out the extent of the work necessary to restore the building to a satisfactory standard. However, while we appreciate the efforts that the owners have made the structural recent report makes it clear that unless something is done urgently to repair the portico the public could be at risk and therefore we have had to issue this notice to ensure the repair work takes place without further delay.
We will continue to work closely with the Rose and Crown team to offer advice and we expect them to comply to avoid the need for us to take further enforcement action. This Grade II* Listed building is very important to our town, and we expect it to be maintained in accordance with the requirements of Listed building legislation”