Seagulls are said to be damaging the roof of the grand old former Osborne Hotel building, now apartments, which overlooks Rotherslade Bay, causing leaks for those who live on the upper floors. The Osborne Management Company Ltd has asked Swansea Council for permission to renew the existing flat roof and install bird and bat boxes to try to tackle the issue.
The multi-storey residential building, located close to Rotherslade Bay, was developed between 2003 and 2005. Planning documents explain how repair attempts have been made to the existing roof covering, but active leaks are still ongoing. There is evidence that seagulls and other wildlife are the primary cause of the puncture damage to the existing membrane, it is stated. Get Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
Osborne Hotel shut its doors for good in the year 2000. The replacement for what was one of Swansea’s most loved hotels at Rotherslade was a luxury apartment block of the same name. The 36 homes making up the £4 million development were snapped up within days of going on the market, at prices upwards of a couple of hundred thousand pounds.
READ MORE: The grand, spectacular and historic hotels that all vanished from Swansea Bay
Planning documents state: "Several repair attempts have been made to the existing roof covering, however active leaks are still ongoing, affecting residents on the upper floors. The roof covering has also reached the end of its serviceable life. There is evidence that seagulls and other wildlife are the primary cause of the puncture damage to the existing membrane.
"The existing roof covering is in need of replacement and the existing material is not robust enough for the exposed location or local wildlife. The roof of The Osborne is only visible from limited areas and the proposed roof covering matches materials in use within the conservation area. The colour will also be similar to the predominant roof coverings in the area and, despite The Osborne’s prominent position, the overall impact of changing the roof covering is likely to be low."
Swansea Council's planning department will now consider the application.
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