Fire crews rush to suspected arson attack at empty Coventry hotel

[dutchman]

Two fire engines were seen at Allesley Hotel, which has previously been targeted by arsonists



Firefighters have tonight rushed to a suspected arson attack at a hotel in Coventry. Crews arrived at the derelict Allesley Hotel, in Birmingham Road, Allesley, late this afternoon following reports of a fire.

Two fire engines were pictured at the scene though no flames or smoke were immediately obvious. The cause of the reported fire is not yet known. It is not clear if anyone was injured.

In August last year, six fire crews arrived to tackle a huge blaze at the empty hotel. An air ambulance was also dispatched to the scene.

The fire in August was believed to have been started deliberately, West Midlands Fire Service said at the time. A spokesperson had said: "Crews from Coventry and Birmingham have attended a deliberate fire at a void hotel in Allesley, Coventry.

"Initial crews arrived within 5 mins and took quick and assertive action to stop the spread of fire and prevent further damage to the building. Birmingham Road is now open."

CoventryLive has contacted West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Police for information about the latest incident. The hotel had been used to house asylum seekers in the run-up to its closure some months ago.

[dutchman]

A fire has broken out at the Allesley Hotel in Coventry



Firefighters are tackling a blaze at Allesley Hotel in Coventry this morning. Firefighters from Canley, Coventry, Foleshill and Binley are at the scene on Birmingham Road.

People are being urged to avoid the area as emergency services carry out their work. It's believed the blaze at the derelict hotel broke out earlier this morning. Fire crews are still on scene.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: We currently have crews from Canley, Coventry, Foleshill and Binley in attendance at the derelict Allesley Hotel on Birmingham Road, Allesley. Please try and avoid the area to allow our crews to work safely to extinguish the fire."

The hotel is currently derelict although it has previously been used to house asylum seekers. It's not the first time since its closure that a fire has broken out at the building. Crews were also called to tackle a fire there in March last year.

[dutchman]

Crews were also called to tackle a fire there in March last year.

And in August of 2022:

Coventry hotel blaze started 'deliberately', fire service says

[dutchman]

This must be some sort of record?

Arson investigation after blaze rips through Coventry hotel

Police have confirmed that they are treating a fire at a Coventry hotel as arson. Flames tore through the 'grand hall' at the former Allesley Hotel last night (May 5).

Fire crews from all stations in the city - Coventry, Binley, Foleshill and Canley - were called to the abandoned hotel in Birmingham Road at around 7pm following reports of smoke. West Midlands Police told CoventryLive that fire crews called police to the scene around half an hour later.

A spokesperson said: "We received a call from West Midlands Fire Service at 7.30pm last night (5 May) that they were dealing with a fire at an abandoned building on Birmingham Road, Coventry. No one was injured but officers from the fire service believe the fire was started deliberately and we are now investigating this as arson."

As a result, investigating officers have launched a witness appeal. They want to hear from anyone who was in the area at around 7pm and saw anything or anyone acting suspiciously.

"We are asking for anyone with information to get in touch by calling 101 or via Live Chat on our website quoting crime reference 20/468725/24," the police spokesperson said.

[dutchman]

Just a thought...

I wonder if locals are setting fire to the hotel to prevent it being used to house so-called 'asylum seekers'?

[rebbonk]

That may well be a valid point, Dutchman.

[dutchman]

Fire-damaged historic hotel now 'beyond repair'



A derelict hotel left "beyond repair" after it was devastated by two huge fires last year could be demolished for a new housing estate.

Developers Avant Homes want to build 62 homes on the site of the old Allesley Hotel on Birmingham Road, Coventry.

Part of the hotel dates back to the early 1800s and is considered important to the area's local history.

But the blazes in February and May destroyed many of the building's inside features, planning documents have revealed.

A planning report submitted to Coventry City Council by the housing company said fixtures and fittings that had survived the hotel's slide into disrepair are "lost or damaged beyond salvage".

Last year, police said the two fires at the hotel, which closed in 2022, were believed to have been started deliberately.

Within the planning report, a survey confirmed the building had been hit by at least three arson attacks and "extensive" vandalism.

Floors and stairs are rotting, walls and ceilings are damp and mouldy, rooms are filled with rubbish, and much of the building is damaged and failing, it said.

The surveyors concluded the hotel was "beyond repair" and that knocking it down would be the "most appropriate outcome."

If the scheme is approved by the council, the hotel will be replaced by 44 houses and a block of flats containing 18 apartments.

How convenient!