Officers from North West Leicestershire District Council say they are continuing to work with the owners of the Royal Hotel in Ashby to secure the long term future of the Grade II* listed building.

The hotel closed in March 2018 due to financial pressures and the need for investment to bring the building up to modern standards.

With Historic England advising that the building will be included on the 2021 Heritage at Risk Register, which will be published in October, the council is involved to make sure no damage is done while the hotel is closed and to support the owners – Oakland Hotels Limited - to bring it back into use as soon as possible.

As well as monthly inspections by the authority's conservation officer, officers continue to work with the owner on the proposed sale of the Bath Grounds to Ashby de la Zouch Town Council and on the planning application for proposed development either side of the hotel.

In 2018, Oakland Hotels said the cost of renovating the hotel would have been £3.5 million.

The owner has recently committed to clearing the car park, which is no longer being used for gas installation work, and to renovating the front porch and boundary wall.

In addition, the single storey buildings on the site can now be demolished as all planning conditions have been met.

The owner has confirmed that the wall renovation and demolition will form part of the work to be carried out following the sale of the Bath Grounds to Ashby de la Zouch Town Council, which would improve the appearance of the hotel and its boundary wall.

Councillor Richard Blunt, Leader of North West Leicestershire District Council said: "The Royal Hotel is an important heritage building in Ashby and we're doing absolutely everything we can to protect it.

"It's good that the owners have aspirations to breathe new life into the building and its surroundings, but we really need to make sure no damage is done in the meantime and push for progress.

"The fact that the building is due to be added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk list shows how important it is.

"We're speaking regularly to the owners and visiting the site to make sure the building is secure and kept in a good condition while the hotel is closed, and we look forward to seeing progress on the plans that they have.

"We plan to issue regular updates as we know how important the Royal Hotel is to local people."

Simon Dawson, Director of Oakland Hotels Ltd., said: "In the three years since the closure of The Royal Hotel, the company has invested a great deal of time and money and a lot of hard work has been done to promote the project and to breathe new life into the historic building and its surroundings.

"It is extremely encouraging that substantial progress is now being made. We are working tirelessly to bring the plans to committee and to complete the sale of The Bath Grounds as soon as possible."

A number of concerns have been raised about the current state of the hotel in recent months.

Ashby Civic Society made their views known in April: Ashby Civic Society voices more concerns about the state of Royal Hotel.

Ashby councillor David Bigby wrote an open letter to Simon Dawson in March An open letter concerning the state of the Royal Hotel.

Last year, Ashby de la Zouch Town Council registered its fears that the hotel was 'fading away in front of our eyes' Ashby Town Council demands urgent action on future of Royal Hotel.