Work on restoring the Royal Hotel and turning it into a boutique venue facility has been described as 'on track' after a site visit by Ashby councillors.

Simon Dawson, of Brookland Group, invited councillors Chris Smith and David Bigby to the Royal building to see how work was progressing with the renovation currently under way.

Ashby de la Zouch Town Council completed the purchase of the Bath Grounds on August 1 for the sum of £620,000.

As part of the historic deal, it was ensured that the money would be used to start the redevelopment of the Royal.

Renovation work has been carried out on the Royal Hotel's roof

Last Friday, Mr Dawson led the councillors on a guided tour of the hotel roof to showcase the work that has been achieved in restoring the building back to its former glory.

The Town Council says a great deal of time, effort and consultation with the planning authority has led to the works being undertaken.

Large sections of the roof have been retiled with reclaimed slate to match the existing tiles, and all the chimney breasts have been repointed and old rendering removed.

The council adds that the roof section is almost completely watertight, and that the builders are eager to move on to the next phase.

The Ashby councillors were invited to a site visit by Mr Dawson

The guttering has been updated and the downpipes will be replaced once the scaffolding has been removed.

Ashby council leader Cllr Smith said it was fantastic to see the progress that has been made so far, and that it was clear to see what improvements have taken place.

He added: "I look forward to seeing how the project develops over the coming years.

"The plans for a boutique hotel certainly appear to be on track, I look forward to seeing the finished results."