THE OWNER of the former Raven Hotel in Droitwich has been ordered to carry out urgent works to make the building safe.
Wychavon secured the order at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (November 12), forcing owner – Live Urban Two Limited – to undertake various measures.
The owners now have until December 8, 2024 to reinstall props on the ground floor of the building to prevent further collapse of the first floor.
temporary netting will also be needed to stop tiles and debris from falling into the street and to complete any other work Wychavon deems necessary until it has been made safe.
The court action follows an incident on September 24 where parts of the guttering, on the section of the building set to be demolished, fell into the road.
An urgent investigation carried out by South Worcestershire Building Control and a structural engineer revealed significant concerns about the safety of the building and the risk it posed to members of the public and neighbouring properties.
The owner was issued with an informal notice by Wychavon to carry out work to make the building safe by October 25, 2024 at the latest.
Despite, workers being seen on site, Wychavon had not received evidence of works being carried out resulting in the decision to seek a court order.
If Live Urban Two fail to comply with the order they could be fined or Wychavon could do the work on the owner’s behalf and recover the money from them.
Officers are working through these next steps if they do fail to comply and will keep the pressure on.
Councillor Richard Morris, executive board member for economy and tourism on Wychavon District Council, said: “We’ve given the owner several opportunities to put the right measures in place to ensure the building is properly protected.
“Despite being given repeated assurances, they haven’t taken sufficient action and our patience has now run out.
“We aren’t prepared to take any chances when it comes to protecting the public and we aren’t prepared to lose an important town asset, that we need back as a focal point supporting the community.
“While the work identified by the court needs to be carried out as a matter of urgency, the wider issue of the redevelopment of The Raven has been going on for too long.
“We need a solution and sooner rather than later, and that’s what we’ll continue to push for.”
Outline permission was granted in 2022 with final planning permission agreed in July this year.
The development will see the partial demolition, repair, refurbishment and conversion of the building for a residential, hospitality and leisure scheme.
The historic parts of the building, which date from the 15th to the 19th century, will be kept and repaired, refurbished and extended.
