YET another Teignmouth hotel could close if the owners' plans to convert it into private homes are approved by the planners.
Jackie and Mike Surman, who have owned and run the Belvedere Hotel in Barnpark Road since 1998, want permission to change it into two semi-detached houses for the use of two of their sons.
Although the couple give Mrs Surman's poor health as the main reason for their decision, they also say that they are fed up with spiralling costs, unhelpful bureaucracy and the negative attitude of the local hoteliers' association.
Indeed, they feel so 'bitter and angry' with the leisure and tourism department of Teignbridge Council that they have referred it to the Local Government Ombudsman.
'Rather than discuss and deal with the matters we have frequently tried to raise, we were told by Brian Gray, the director of community services, to contact the Ombudsman if we had any complaints,' said Mr Surman. 'This comment, and the rudeness of members of Mr Gray's department, were not at all appreciated by ourselves, but has been followed for lack of other alternatives!'
Mr Surman also hit out at rising business rates, council tax and water bills, as well as government policy 'or the lack of it' and the 'crass stupidity of regulations imposed by various and usually ignorant national and European bureaucracies'.
He said that he and his wife wanted to help their sons get their feet on the property ladder by converting the hotel.
'They have recently married and would otherwise, like many other young people, be finding difficulty in obtaining appropriate property in the present housing market,' he said.
Mr Surman said that they would regret disappointing many regular customers, but that they had no satisfactory alternative to their proposed course of action.
'As "asylum seekers" from London and the Midlands, we look forward to living as private citizens in Teignmouth and supporting our former associates in the tourism industry in striving for a level – and unpolluted – playing field and other facilities for the many incomers to south Devon,' he said.
He deplored the 'careless, even callous attitude of the so-called "proper authorities"' to the needs of residents.
Bob Bailey, chairman of the Teignmouth, Dawlish, Shaldon and District Hotel and Caterers' Association, said that Mr Surman was entitled to his poor opinion of the association, but it was actually recruiting new members.
'We have a very good executive which works extremely hard for the benefit of the members,' he said. 'We attend many meetings with councillors, Teignbridge's leisure and tourism department and South West Tourism, and we always make our voice heard.'
David Beer, a spokesman for Teignbridge Council, said that they were aware of Mr Surman's complaints about a number of issues over several years.
'Mr Surman has referred his latest complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman, who is now undertaking an investigation,' said Mr Beer. 'The council will abide by the Ombudsman's decision when it is known.'