LODDON Shire and owners of Inglewood’s former historic Royal Hotel building are again at loggerheads.
Council has slapped a ban on Jika Jika Land Pty Ltd saying the removal of walls on the second storey of the hotel is “a danger to life, safety and health of members of the public and any person using the building”.
A council order signed by council’s Glenn Harvey and taped to the building, renamed King Charles III by owners earlier this year, says work contravenes the Building Act.
The order also says Jika Jika Land must instal a temporary ballustrade at the rear of the building to provide fall protection.
Director operations Steve Van Orsouw said: “Council has no comment on this matter, however we can confirm that there are no current building applications for this site”.
Jika Jika Land’s Steve Prior said on Tuesday that no walls had been removed during “repairs and maintenance” and permits were not required for the work.
Mr Prior said the temporary ballustrade had been installed and council had told him the ban on works would be removed.
He said the order had been disputed.
Mr Prior said plans to attract a tenant to re-open the downstairs hotel area, closed since 2020, were continuing as were plans for a separate accommodation business on the second storey.
Loddon Shire had earlier been locked in a battle with the building’s owners over the safety of the verandah.
Safety fencing surrounded the verandah for more than two years before the courts granted Jika Jika Land time extensions to complete replacement of the verandah.
The latest building order has not impacted trading of Inglewood Ambulance Auxiliary’s op-shop.
Manager Faye Orange said the op-shop was in a separate part of the old hotel.
“We’ve had a lot of people asking us ... but we’re still open,” she said.
The op-shop moved into the former lodge room part of the building two years ago.