Council's Patience 'Run Out' as Rose and Crown Served a Second Enforcement Notice

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has served the owners of the Rose and Crown Hotel with a second Section 77 Building Control notice, giving them seven working days to make the building's portico and some beams safe - months after this site reported the owners had pledged to take back direct control of the historic building and get repairs done.

Back in July, this site reported that owners R&B Hotels Ltd had ended a previous leasing arrangement, committed to restoring the Grade-listed hotel themselves, and completed some repair work following a structural survey - while the council warned it hadn't ruled out further enforcement if progress stalled. That warning has now landed. R&B Hotels shared a further structural engineers' report last week, commissioned after council officers instructed more investigation into the extent of rainwater damage. The council says the report identified a number of issues its officers consider urgent, and that while the owners are talking to contractors about getting the work done, there is still no firm plan in place.

Trench Ward Councillor Adem Mehmet, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Tonbridge Regeneration, didn't mince words: "I have asked TMBC's officers to keep up the pressure on the Rose and Crown's owners to ensure that this building is restored to an acceptable state of repair. We are sending a clear message that our patience has run out due to the continued deterioration of this important landmark building." He added that the Rose & Crown is Grade II* listed and that the council remains willing to work with the owners, but is "now insisting the owners take appropriate action." If no action plan is in place after seven working days, the council says it will keep using its enforcement powers until the work is done. Source: Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council