Blaze at Boscombe's Cliff End hotel (From Thisisdorset)

To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

http://www.bournemou
thecho.co.uk/yoursay
/letterstotheeditor/
9624383.There_s_no_w
ay_to_repair_Bournem
outh_s_Cliff_End_Hot
el/

Please see above comments added to The Echos comments page in Sept 2011.

It was such a beautiful building with stunning Victorian architecture, it could have been made into luxury flats or something. There was obviously some structural decay though and these days, no builder/property developer can be a*sed with restoration work, they'd much rather flatten a place and build a lego type building in its place - money money money.

As a council tax payer I'd have been happy for the council to have done something with it and I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that. Such a shame.

BournemouthMum wrote:
To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

It's not a blessing in the slightest.

The original building was lovely and of interest.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with concrete lego blocks is far from a blessing

andyjb10 wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:
To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

It's not a blessing in the slightest.

The original building was lovely and of interest.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with concrete lego blocks is far from a blessing

Please read my second post - I agree with you!

Also it IS a blessing in the context of what I was saying - i.e. that the fire has removed the danger of anyone being fatally injured in the building as it was being used inappropriately.

GREAT NEWS
best thing that could have happened to the building.
Let's hope it is totally destroyed.

BournemouthMum wrote:

andyjb10 wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:
To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

It's not a blessing in the slightest.

The original building was lovely and of interest.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with concrete lego blocks is far from a blessing

Please read my second post - I agree with you!

Also it IS a blessing in the context of what I was saying - i.e. that the fire has removed the danger of anyone being fatally injured in the building as it was being used inappropriately.

Blimey, BournemouthMum, are you now starting arguments between yourself?
Have you given a thought of going into Coalition with David Cameron?!

So God does exist !!. We were only discussing the debate on BBC last Night between Richard Dorkyn and the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish faith about the meaning of 'God' and lo and behold the next day the Cliff End Hotel is struck by lightening

Gordon Cann wrote:
So God does exist !!. We were only discussing the debate on BBC last Night between Richard Dorkyn and the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish faith about the meaning of 'God' and lo and behold the next day the Cliff End Hotel is struck by lightening

If God does exist, it is blindingly obvious that I must retract the first word of my comment above to BournemouthMum, and seek forgiveness from a Superior Being!

this is a lovely building that has been left to rott why can t the stupid owners sell it to someone that can do it up and turn it into homes its better than the crap builders build these days and has detail

I should not worry too múch. God might be a convenient concept for insurance companies , but hardly a superior being!

York Minster and now this.

if god exists, then why was a perfectly good school just burnt to a crisp. I woke up to the sound of a rather large thunderous bang and live probably 3/4 of a mile from the hotel. it was definitely lightening, not an act of god though, an act of science. the peak of that building was probably the highest thing under the path of the lightening strike. I guess unless someone comes forward who actually saw the lightening strike the building then we will never know. Maybe there is something more sinister going on, but god? i don't think so.

in fact i have just had a conversation with a friend who lives over the road from the hotel and he said that he jumped out of bed at about ten past six to a noise so loud he thought it was the end of the world! he said it definitely sounded like thunder. so there we have it :)

I don't know - from all the high-rise flats along Manor Road that could have been struck by lightning, trust Mother Nature to pick on the derelict eye-sore of the former Cliff End hotel.

Isn't it a little suspicious considering this is a prime property development location?

I do not think for one moment that a lightening bolt caused this fire, id bet everything that this is arson pure and simple, obviously i would not suggest that the current oners have committed arson, but across the country where buildings do not get the required planning consents the buildings are left to rot, so thateven local residents so angered by having a monstrosity on their doorsteps end up backing any development rather than have the ugly building on their doorstep, so now a new build will get planning consent and the whole structure will be torn down massively increasing the buildings value, the owners should be forced to pay a fine to the council for allowing this building (Built for H Samuel ) to become such a blot on the landscape, the problem is many owners will allow the buildings to decay until they get the consents THEY want they no that residents end up telling the council do something give them permission for something rather than look at this horror on our doorsteps, someone caused this fire on purpose could be anyone at all local resident etc lightening my ****

Would have made a good Wetherspoons!

It was a haven for druggies, infested with rats etc. So a sad as it is, ever cloud has a silver lining and pehaps something worth while may happen with the land.

Note to Council do allow your brown envelope bearing cronies to build bedsits there

mpdor wrote:
I do not think for one moment that a lightening bolt caused this fire, id bet everything that this is arson pure and simple, obviously i would not suggest that the current oners have committed arson, but across the country where buildings do not get the required planning consents the buildings are left to rot, so thateven local residents so angered by having a monstrosity on their doorsteps end up backing any development rather than have the ugly building on their doorstep, so now a new build will get planning consent and the whole structure will be torn down massively increasing the buildings value, the owners should be forced to pay a fine to the council for allowing this building (Built for H Samuel ) to become such a blot on the landscape, the problem is many owners will allow the buildings to decay until they get the consents THEY want they no that residents end up telling the council do something give them permission for something rather than look at this horror on our doorsteps, someone caused this fire on purpose could be anyone at all local resident etc lightening my ****

It was a lightning strike, there's two on the lightning plotter shortly after 6am this morning, the first which woke me up and second centred in on boscombe, there are also others further west which probably account for the school fire as well.

A lightning bolt did cause this fire and it struck about 6:10AM and not 6:30AM because I was on my way to work just going down the hill towards the traffic lights,nearly fell off my bike after bright white light flashed in my face. That was then followed by the loudest crash of thunder you'd ever heard in your life.

Then torrential rain....which was lovely.
Stopped when I got to work.

Shame the whole thing didn't burn down really.

It's war of the worlds

derelcit wreck of a hotel - Boscombe. if it were nice and posh it'd be called East Cliff! lol Boscombe bashers never stop, do they?

NB it is actually in the Ward of East Cliff and Springbourne. i doubt the well heeled residents of that end of Manor Road would wish to be thought of as living in Boscombe.

all the people in the high rise flats should be luckly there places didnt get strike by lighting they wouldnt be left standing they are the big eyesores in boscombe 1920 art deco crap

I can confirm this was 100% lightning strike I am directly opposite and probably the closest person to where the lightning struck i was awake at the time and thought the world was ending. The power of nature the power of God .

BournemouthMum wrote:

andyjb10 wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:
To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

It's not a blessing in the slightest.

The original building was lovely and of interest.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with concrete lego blocks is far from a blessing

Please read my second post - I agree with you!

Also it IS a blessing in the context of what I was saying - i.e. that the fire has removed the danger of anyone being fatally injured in the building as it was being used inappropriately.

This was the first hotel i worked in when i arrived in Bournemouth 12 yrs ago. The original part of the building (Center) was quite grand in its time. I was once told by the chef that manor road was once known as millionaires row i was led to believe that the business owners from Ratners. Beechams. and Boots once occupied these building. But i agree with mum its a danger and should be pulled down There was planning permission applied to pull it down and build flats before it got closed but i believe the council rejected it

As the leaseholder we feel it would be useful to those that have posted comments here to be aware of certain facts.
We purchased the lease with a view to developing the property. Since the purchase every obstacle possible has been put in our way by the freeholder Meyrick Estates. Without this obstruction we have no doubt that the property would have been well on its way to being redeveloped. During our time as leaseholders we have tried to make the site as secure and unattractive to intruders as possible but nothing can make a sight fully secure from those totally determined to break in.
The legal obstacles placed in our path to stop us from developing by Meyrick Estates are a matter of public record.
The preferred concept was to remove the flat end extensions and develop around the Victorian Core. Generally the preferred option. (This may now have to be reviewed.)
The Council have always been supportive of this type of development and a design statement has been prepared to this effect.
We hope that this latest incident will prove to be a catalyst in the redevelopment of such an important site site so that it can once again contribute to the local community.

BISA.GB wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:

andyjb10 wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:
To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

It's not a blessing in the slightest.

The original building was lovely and of interest.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with concrete lego blocks is far from a blessing

Please read my second post - I agree with you!

Also it IS a blessing in the context of what I was saying - i.e. that the fire has removed the danger of anyone being fatally injured in the building as it was being used inappropriately.

This was the first hotel i worked in when i arrived in Bournemouth 12 yrs ago. The original part of the building (Center) was quite grand in its time. I was once told by the chef that manor road was once known as millionaires row i was led to believe that the business owners from Ratners. Beechams. and Boots once occupied these building. But i agree with mum its a danger and should be pulled down There was planning permission applied to pull it down and build flats before it got closed but i believe the council rejected it

And a infamous murder of Rattenbury which went down in the annuals of crime.
You could not have work there long I could swear it been has been closed for many years.

At last a comment giving some facts about the lack of work on this site,good old Meyrick Estates still making life as awkward as possible for leaseholders.

Let's hope the Echo report FULLY the case which will be heard around March 2013 ( unless it is postponed yet again). The council seem to have absolved themselves of any responsibility for the disgraceful state of this site, no matter how often they are contacted. Many holidaymakers use the route through Boscombe Gardens to the beach, what on earth must they think about this eyesore.

boscombe p wrote:
As the leaseholder we feel it would be useful to those that have posted comments here to be aware of certain facts.
We purchased the lease with a view to developing the property. Since the purchase every obstacle possible has been put in our way by the freeholder Meyrick Estates. Without this obstruction we have no doubt that the property would have been well on its way to being redeveloped. During our time as leaseholders we have tried to make the site as secure and unattractive to intruders as possible but nothing can make a sight fully secure from those totally determined to break in.
The legal obstacles placed in our path to stop us from developing by Meyrick Estates are a matter of public record.
The preferred concept was to remove the flat end extensions and develop around the Victorian Core. Generally the preferred option. (This may now have to be reviewed.)
The Council have always been supportive of this type of development and a design statement has been prepared to this effect.
We hope that this latest incident will prove to be a catalyst in the redevelopment of such an important site site so that it can once again contribute to the local community.

All the best in your attempt at dealing with the Meyrick Estate and returning this once grand building to its former glory.

It's good to see developers not wanting to pull down buildings of interest just to be replaced with lego blocks.

Good luck.

I doubt it was a lightning strike.

I should imagine it was a boat strike (they can do an enormous amount of damage) - and it might also explain why no one saw anything either.

This is so sad to see :( I worked at this hotel for a few years under Mr and Mrs Leonard and then Mr and Mrs Knights :) I had a few happy years there, starting when I was still at school. It was a lovely hotel :) So sad to see it left to rot :(

It's been closed 10 years Lord Spring :)

Lord Spring wrote:

BISA.GB wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:

andyjb10 wrote:

BournemouthMum wrote:
To be honest I'm surprised it's taken this long for this to happen. This place has been derelict and boarded up for years and has been used as a 'den' by druggies and teenagers for a long while, and I'm surprised that no one has been badly injured or even killed in this place.

It should have been demolished years ago - why hasn't it? Thankfully the fire will have destroyed most of the internal structure so it won't be used in this way again. A blessing.

It's not a blessing in the slightest.

The original building was lovely and of interest.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with concrete lego blocks is far from a blessing

Please read my second post - I agree with you!

Also it IS a blessing in the context of what I was saying - i.e. that the fire has removed the danger of anyone being fatally injured in the building as it was being used inappropriately.

This was the first hotel i worked in when i arrived in Bournemouth 12 yrs ago. The original part of the building (Center) was quite grand in its time. I was once told by the chef that manor road was once known as millionaires row i was led to believe that the business owners from Ratners. Beechams. and Boots once occupied these building. But i agree with mum its a danger and should be pulled down There was planning permission applied to pull it down and build flats before it got closed but i believe the council rejected it

And a infamous murder of Rattenbury which went down in the annuals of crime.
You could not have work there long I could swear it been has been closed for many years.

It's been closed 10 years :(

Seen Kestrel security vans parked outside, several times over the past few nights.
Maybe someone thinks this fire was started deliberately?!!

If it was a certain Bournemouth landlord, I'm sure the planning application would be submitted at 9am on 2nd January!