A PLANNING wrangle has halted extension work to install facilities for the disabled at a Vale hotel - and left part of the hotel looking more like the site of a quarry.
Deborah Sinclair, owner of The Riverside Hotel applied to Wychavon District Council for permission to build an extension onto the current building in Aldington in order to comply with disability regulations.
This was granted and work started on the facilities, which included specially adapted bedrooms, toilets, a swimming pool and a jacuzzi.
But as work began, Deborah was advised that due to the hotel's position on a slope, the extension would be at risk of subsidence in the future and the decision was taken to move the work back up the hill around ten yards.
In order for this to happen another planning application was needed and that was where the trouble started.
Deborah said: "We thought the new planning application would just be a formality as we had already been given permission to start work, so we didn't send anyone to represent us at the meeting.
"When we found out that we had been refused permission it was obviously a real shock and now we have to wait for the appeal decision to deal with this huge eyesore."
The application went to a full committee meeting where advice from Badsey and Aldington Parish Council was taken into account.
Parish councillor Reg Jakeman said: "The application caused problems from the beginning and the amended one put the site of the extension work too close to some of the neighbouring properties.
"We also felt that it would increase the traffic flow on the roads nearby and on the main entrance road to the hotel which a lot of people live and park their cars on."
But the refusal could be bad news for Evesham as a whole, according to Evesham's Market Town Partnership Manager, Lew Hammond, as the current uncertainty over the hotel's future could affect the town's economy.
He said: "There is a lack of hotels in Evesham at the moment and we should be encouraging hotel trade in an attempt to bring more tourists to our town.
"The Market Town Partnership has supported the hotels application from the beginning as it forms part of our Riverside Regeneration scheme and we hope to see it functioning fully again soon."
A planning appeal has already been lodged and a decision will be reached within six weeks.
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