Councillors attack Melton Council's 'high risk' hotel plan

Members backed Councillor Peter Faulkner’s motion for a full survey to be carried out on all town hotels, detailing how busy they are and the economic impact on them of the council going ahead with its proposal for a 65-bed hotel on its Parkside site.

Several councillors were unhappy about the plan for the council to explore building a hotel and some described it as a ‘high risk’ strategy which could jeopardise millions of pounds of tax payer’s money if it did not pay off.

The cabinet recently postponed a decision on the hotel plan and will now revisit it in June before any final decision is taken by a vote by the full council.

In proposing his motion to the full council meeting, Councillor Faulkner said that room usage through the year should be calculated in the Harboro Hotel, Sysonby Knoll Hotel, Quorn Lodge Hotel and Premier Inn so the council could determine if there was a need for another hotel.

He told councillors: “I contacted the hotels in the town and they are very, very disappointed about this plan and that they hadn’t even been contacted before it got to this stage because basically they are on their knees.

“They can’t see where there is a need for any more hotel spaces in this town simply because they are not even breaking even at the moment.

“Their room fulfilment is so low at times that it’s ridiculous.

“The only times they are ever full is when we have special events on which is two or three times a year.”

He added: “If we carry on with the hotel option we are going to see the end of at least two of the three independent hotels in the town.

“That’s what they’ve told me.”

It would be difficult to justify to borough residents spending large amounts of money on converting the council offices into a hotel, according to Councillor Christopher Evans.

He told he meeting: “We’ve got to get this right because it’s probably one of the biggest decisions this council will make in the next decade. If we get it wrong it could be a disaster.”

The council has indicated it would need to carry out a full business case, if the plan is finally approved, before spending millions on the conversion work.

This concerns Councillor John Illingworth, who told colleagues: “It took my breath away at the prospect of us putting money up and doing all the donkey work before then waiting for someone to come and take it on as a hotel.

“This is a high risk project and we should be looking at zero to low risk on this.”

With the next local election due to take place in May, Councillor Pru Chandler felt the hotel conversion proposal should have been delayed until after the new council is elected.

She said: “The timing of this was abominable. We shouldn’t be making major decisions before an election. It is absolutely appalling the way this was leaked at this time.”