£21k FINE OVER HOTEL

...and it can go up £100 a day until eyesore’s demolished

THE owners of an “eyesore” hotel have been fined nearly £21,000 for flouting a court order.

An enforcement notice for the demolition of the derelict St David’s Hotel, Harlech, has been ignored and the building’s owners, Gibraltar-based Aitchison Associates Ltd were fined last September for failing to comply with the order.

Magistrates at Caernarfon also warned that if the owners continue to ignore the notice they could be fined £100 for every day they do not act.

At a hearing last week, magistrates were told the work has still not been carried out and the company had not contacted the Snowdonia National Park or court officials.

Finding the case proved against Aitchison in their absence, bench chairman Alun Pugh said the company “blatantly refused to comply with orders”.

Aitchison Associates were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £21,800.

Siwan Lyall, prosecuting, said notices had been served on the company in January 2016 to demolish the building which was deemed unsafe, clear the land and remove all materials.

The hotel is in a prominent spot in an elevated position and close to the castle, a World Heritage Site.

In 2009, the National Park granted conditional planning permission for the demolition of the hotel and college hall of residence and for the construction of a new 130bedroom hotel and 76 holiday apartments.

Despite having been granted planning permission, the developer has not proceeded with the project.

Ms Lyall told the court that, in December 2015, a notice was served by the National Park Authority due to the unacceptable state of the building and the adverse impact the situation was having on the area’s beauty and on residents’ amenities.

Notices required Aitchison Associates to clear the site completely by April 2017.

As a result of the company’s failure to comply with the notices, magistrates last September ordered them to pay fines and costs totalling £1,652.

She told the court that notice of the hearing had been served on the company by post and e-mail but no response had been received.