"I write to update you as to the state of the Railway Hotel.

The Council continue to seek the restoration of the building back to its previous state. The plans to do this are quite complex and will evolve over time, however it is first important to secure the immediate health of the building.

At present the owner has been served a Urgent Works Notice using the powers available within Section 54 of Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The notice includes a list of urgent works which represent the minimum that must be done to ensure the immediate health of the building. These works include the boarding of doors and windows, the replacement of drainpipes and gutters and several smaller steps. The Council are actively seeking the commencement of the urgent works as soon as practically able.

As with a lot of building works it might appear that things are deteriorating or that standards are not being observed. If this is the case then do not worry, urgent works are meant only as a temporary measure. We do not, for instance, see plastic gutters and downpipes as permanent features of this building but we do need to ensure that the drainage measures do their jobs this autumn.

The Council will continue to use the powers necessary to bring about the restoration, repair and re-use of the building, so that it can once again contribute positively to Edgware town centre."