Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then now and then

newbrightonphotos.org.uk/main.php?cmd=album&var1=nowandthen/

clicky

Great post, check this out....

Councillor calling for action on hotel site

Sep 15 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Wallasey News

NEW Brighton’s landmark Hotel Victoria closed six years ago this week – but there is still no sign of a development promised for the site.

Staff and customers were left bewildered when the hotel unexpectedly shut its doors in September 2004.

It was later demolished and bought by developers, who held a public meeting over plans to build 70 apartments on the land.

Wirral Council eventually granted planning permission for a smaller development of 40 apartments.

But despite building work starting and the arrival of a crane on site several months ago, progress has stalled.

New Brighton Councillor Tony Pritchard told the News he was concerned the crane would become “as much of a landmark as the Hotel Victoria” if work did not start soon.

The company behind the development, Barrack Homes, told the News “hiccups” were to blame but refused to elaborate.

A spokesman said: “We still hope to carry on with the development, we’ve just had some hiccups over the last few months.

“Hopefully we will continue to build on it in the next couple of months but I can’t really tell you any more at the moment.”

The company’s website for the development, named Victoria View, promises “stylish, contemporary, luxury apartments” and a completion date of October 2009.

An online list prices the apartments at between £149,950 and £261,950.

Cllr Pritchard said: “A large crane on the site has become one of our skyline’s most prominent landmarks.

“I really hope the developer can resolve this soon and finish the project.

“A lot of residents have contacted me to voice their concerns and I’m concerned that what was once an important local building is now just a building site.”

Cllr Pritchard said he was concerned that important local buildings could be demolished without any guarantees of them being replaced.

He said another example was the Grand Hotel on the promenade, which was demolished in 2006.

The site is still empty, despite Wirral Council granting planning permission for 12 flats and four townhouses.



Clicky

I suppose you could call bankruptcy a hiccup!

Hiya Tatey, bankruptcy caused by greed is more than a hiccup I suppose but they deserve to choke on it. The same happened over in Lincolnshire where I was. They were in such a hurry to get every bit of development land and out bid anyone else that they got in over their heads and when the downturn came went bust. They caused me grief so I laughed my head off.

Hey Bandy,

If nothing else the site gives us a good weather vane!

Yeah, and there was even a cock on the top of it a few months back.

Seriously, there's supposed to be a shortage of building land, yet in a small area of New Brighton there's the Vic site, the nursing home site opposite, old Albion Motors site, and former Mount Primary site. Nothing happening on any of them, unless you count the nursing home site being used as a contractor's storage yard.

This is true!