A COUNCIL boss has rejected rumours that a boarded-up hotel could be turned into luxury flats and said he would like it to re-open and offer rooms again.

The Upper Reaches Hotel in Abingdon shut in June in a double shock as the nearby The Co-op also announced its closure.

Vale of White Horse District Council, which owns the freehold on the building, lets it out on a long-term lease to Caparo Hotels - part of Caparo Plc, which mainly deals in the steel industry. 

After the closure, residents feared the former hotel would be turned into housing.

But Vale council leader Matt Barber this week said the fact the company only had 70 year left on its lease might make that unviable.

He said: "We wouldn't welcome flats, and the current lease only allows for six flats which probably isn't really attractive - I think that scenario will never come about.

"They could apply for a change of use but we have had no application for that.

"They have only got so many years left, in the region of 70, which is not a very long time in property terms."

Mr Barber said anyone wanting to take the building on, for any purpose, would almost certainly want to agree a longer lease with the council, and that would give the authority some control of what goes in there.

And he revealed: "I personally want to see it return as a hotel of decent quality and size, which is something Abingdon is in need of."

The Thames Street hotel, which has 31 ensuite rooms and a large car park, has been left to decay with wood-covered windows and a weed-infested garden.

Abingdon Town Councillor and chairman of the Vale Mike Badcock said the hotel "can't be allowed to fall to wreck and ruin."

He said: "It's a gateway to the town - we can't afford to leave it too long. Whatever goes there it needs to be first-class.

"For some reason a hotel didn't work there but I don't understand why – it's a prime location and it needs a prestigious development."

Abingdon Mayor Helen Pighills added: "You could do wonderful things with it. It would be best if it was kept a hotel and restaurant, and it would be nice to keep a bit of open space. It would be a real pity to see it all closed-in with flats and lose the view of Thames Street."

Kevin Thomson, who welcomes tourists in the town as organiser of Walk About Abingdon tours, said: "It's a small town with a huge history. When the Upper Reaches closed down it was a shame - it's a prime spot. I would like to see it stay as a hotel, we have flats going up all over the place. In the centre of town we should focus more on facilities. I reckon Abingdon could be a real destination."

Caparo Hotels is yet to respond to the Abingdon Herald's requests for comment, though an employee claimed the hotel was privately-owned by one of the company's bosses who is said to be out of the country.