OWNERS of a popular hotel say they have been forced to apply to change their busines into apartments over an ongoing noise row with the council.

The Cliff House Hotel in Southbourne has submitted a planning application to change the existing hotel into residential apartments without demolishing the building.

Owner Richard Norris, said the application has been submitted due to ongoing issues with a small number of residents and the council, which have made the business ‘no longer financially viable.’

Mr Norris said: “We've had an ongoing battle with two or three residents for about three and a half years. And they've now managed to get an abatement order against the hotel for noise nuisance, which I knew was going to be the outcome at some point.

“For us to be in such a residential area and the council to put these restrictions on us with our garden and the hotel, it's just making it hard for us to trade. So we had to look at other avenues before we went bust basically.

“We did everything we could to try and improve the hotel when we were in lockdown, revamping the garden and the bar and knocking walls down. Unfortunately we did this so we could have bigger parties and bigger weddings, events like that.

“But it is getting to the stage now that I am looking for a different premises to move my staff and move my business somewhere else.

“It is with a heavy heart because I love the place and we've been very busy with parties and weddings. Unfortunately it's the council that has put a massive stop to it.

“The whole thing has just got me completely down and I don't enjoy working anymore because I’m just anxious about the next thing that's gonna be thrown at me.

“We've continued to take weddings and bookings all through to 2023 and we want to honour everybody's booking but we are about to come out of our three year contract with, with gas and electricity and they're telling me the hikes of everything.

“One thing is weighing up is it actually viable, through the winter when you haven't got the tourists to actually keep the doors open and with gas and electricity prices as high as they are. But we are going to try our utmost best to try and keep it open for as long as possible.”

Richard Norris has started a petition to garner support from the community. The petition currently has more than 1,500 signatures.

Mr Norris said: “We have created this petition to have a voice within the local community and would really appreciate it if you can get involved and support the hotel with your comments and signatures.”

A BCP Council spokesperson said: “We have received complaints about noise in regards to the Cliff House Hotel in Southbourne.

"We can confirm that an investigation is ongoing so we are unable to comment further on this case.

“The Council’s Environmental Protection Team work closely with the Licensing Team and partners such as Dorset Police to respond to reports of noise complaints across BCP area.

"We take necessary action either through engagement with owners of premises or enforcement under the Environmental Protection Act where required.

"Police colleagues often follow up these visits to ensure the message is understood and help to prevent repeat nuisances which may lead to prosecution, fines and a criminal record."

To view the petition visit: https://www.change.org/p/support-the-cliff-house-hotel