Four year old scaffolding around the the ill-fated 'George Best Hotel' in Belfast City Centre is to be removed, without any clear indication yet as to what the building will be used for.
Scaffolding around the Scottish Mutual Building, considered to be at best an eye sore and at worst dangerous, will be removed by Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure, following a request from a Belfast City Councillor.
Last month five youths were rescued from the roof of the disused building in Belfast city centre after scaling the scaffolding. Three months before that a section of Bedford Street was cordoned off by police after chunks of red brick masonry the size of breezeblocks fell from the building onto the pavement at the corner of Donegall Square.
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The hotel project has been the subject of some controversy, with local politicians arguing the boarded up building added to the feeling of degeneration in the city centre.
South Belfast SDLP councillor Gary McKeown welcomed the removal of scaffolding from the building on the corner of Bedford Street and Donegall Square, after he asked the Infrastructure Minister to revoke permission for it to be there.
Councillor McKeown said: “The scaffolding has been a scar on the landscape at the historic Scottish Mutual Building for more than four years, adding to the sense of dereliction and abandonment in parts of the city centre. The issue came to a head last month when a group of teenagers had to be rescued from the roof of the building after climbing the framework.
“I wrote to the Infrastructure Minister to ask that his department revoke permission for the scaffolding to be located on the public roadway and footpath. Aside from the safety issues and the limitations it places on access for pedestrians, it looks awful for anyone arriving into Bedford Street or Donegall Square, particularly tourists. This is a listed building, so it should be celebrated and protected, not clad in scaffolding and hoarding.”
Councillor McKeown added: “I'm pleased that departmental officials have now secured the removal of the majority of the scaffolding after I wrote to the Minister, with the remaining sections due to be removed shortly. Already you can see how it opens up the location to light once again.
“The remaining hoist which is attached to the building is owned by a different company, so officials are working to get this removed too. The hoarding surrounding it remains in place, which continues to be an eyesore and block part of the pavement and road. If officials can get this sorted, it will mean all metalwork and barriers at this site will finally be removed, and the street can be fully opened up again. The sooner this happens, the better.”
Renovation work to turn the Scottish Mutual Building into a hotel ceased in April 2020 when the hotel’s owners, Bedford Hotel Ltd, a subsidiary of Signature Living Hotels Ltd, was placed in administration.
Ongoing efforts to revitalise the project - formerly known as the George Best hotel - and complete its development were dealt a blow in May when a Belfast High Court judge ruled the property can be sold, leaving the bedrooms investors facing a loss of £4m.
It means that the administrators, Kroll, are now seeking a buyer for the unfinished development which is in a deteriorating state. A group representing former investors are planning to make another bid for the property.
More than 50 of the 57 bedroom investors, led by County Antrim businessman Stephen Kearney, have since come together to support Signature Living Hotels Ltd owner Lawrence Kenwright in a proposed recovery plan which will seek to return their investment with interest.
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