Lewes mayor hopes to highlight ‘plight’ of historic hotel in high street: ‘It is an intrinsic part of the identity of Lewes’

Councillor Matthew Bird wants to highlight the ‘plight’ of Shelleys Hotel in the High Street, which has been closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

He said: “Shelley’s Hotel is acknowledged as one of the most important buildings in Lewes, Grade II listed, an important part of our heritage, and yet it has been left unoccupied and allowed to run down for over three years now.”

The Mayor said the hotel’s celebrity guests have included Samuel Johnson and King George IV, and added that it was used as a military hospital during the First World War.

In late 2022 residents took to Facebook to express their frustration at the condition of 16th-century manor house with one asking people to contact Historic England to ask if the building could be added to its annual Risk Register. The Sussex Express reported that the hotel is listed as being owned by Messina Properties, one of Nicholas van Hoogstraten’s companies operating in Hove.

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Historic England have previously said there is no statutory obligation upon the owner of a listed building to keep their property in a good state of repair. But they also said local authorities can take some action to repair a listed building when they are concerned about its continued conservation.

In January 2023 it was reported that squatters had been staying the hotel.

The Mayor told the Sussex Express this week: “Frustratingly, I know local authorities have little powers in circumstances like these to force action on owners.”

He continued: “But it has to be time for some coordinated action to save Shelleys, not only because of its listed status but also because it is an intrinsic part of the identity of Lewes. Historic England were contacted in 2022 and advised on a number of legal powers that could be utilised by the Local Authority if they were minded to ensure that the property is kept in a good state of repair and I would like to see a focus on pressuring the current owners to either occupy and open Shelleys or to sell it to someone who cares.”