Plans for £50 million hotel on Plymouth hoe grind to a halt

A £50 million hotel and housing project has seemingly ground to halt on Plymouth Hoe after more than a year of inactivity.

Developer Henley Real Estate has not replied to ITV News' request for comment, but Plymouth Council says it is working with the company to help "unlock development of the site" - where work was supposed to begin last year.

The old Quality Hotel was demolished more than three years ago and the new development, Hotel 1620, was set to be Plymouth's premier five star luxury hotel, bringing high-end business and tourism to the Hoe.

Years later, however, the site remains empty with no construction in sight.

The 1620 was meant to be a five-star hotel and apartment development, ready to accommodate guests for the Mayflower 2020 celebrations. But, with time running out, those grand plans haven't come to fruition.

Three years ago when the council bought the site and chose developers Henley Real Estate - officials seemed confident a new hotel would be ready in time.

In 2016, the leader of Plymouth City Council told ITV News "everything [was] going very well":

Other local hoteliers on the Hoe are urging the council to find an alternative use for the land ahead of next year

Henley Real Estate's website still lists their plans for the hotel, with no indication they are abandoning the project. They have not replied to ITV News' request for comment.

Meanwhile the city council only told ITV News that "it has contractual agreement with a developer, and, it is working with them to unlock the development of the site."