The hotel at the centre of a 'toxic dispute'

The building has been covered in scaffolding for years

A local authority is promising to start urgent works on an "eyesore" hotel, something its owner says is the latest twist in a "toxic dispute" between the parties.

Roger Brock, the owner of the Royal Victoria Hotel in Newport, Shropshire, has been locked in a battle with Telford and Wrekin Council over the building's fate.

Council bosses said the Grade II listed structure on St Mary's Street had been allowed to fall into disrepair and the work it would undertake was necessary after requests for action went unmet.

But Mr Brock insisted the council had made unfair demands and he would raise the matter with the government.

Mr Brock previously told the BBC that delays in developing the site had been caused by planning issues and asbestos, before the Covid pandemic meant the situation worsened.

He has expressed a desire to see the scaffold-covered building demolished after a report highlighted structural damage that he said had left him with "no other option".

But the council flatly rejected the proposal, saying it would not allow the hotel to be torn down.

The former hotel is a Grade II listed building

The hotel has been dubbed an eyesore by fed-up residents.

On Friday, the local authority announced urgent work would be undertaken the following week after a number of repair notices were issued to no avail.

The council also said it wanted to buy back the building, having previously carried out other maintenance work itself.

"With no actions or works undertaken by the owners, Telford and Wrekin Council has instructed contractors to carry out vital repairs," a council statement read.

"It is estimated that the work will take around 13 weeks to complete and the council will seek to recover all costs from the owner."

'Frustrated'

In a statement to the BBC, Mr Brock said council bosses had "consciously frustrated my efforts to implement the planning consent for 12 flats that the council passed in 2018".

He said he would be writing to the Government asking it to intervene or order an inquiry.

"I have also written to the Secretary of State complaining of the treatment my company has had to endure," he said.

"[The] council's planning department [is] impervious to any criticism."