Ultimatum on hotel

Press, 1 October 1979, Page 6

Ultimatum on hotel

An ultimatum to comply: with fire-safety regulations |; or face loss of licence has j 1 been issued to the lessee of i I the United Service Hotel in Cathedral Square. I i The Licensing Control;: Commission has criticised[; the “casual attitude” taken:l towards the regulations by)' the lessee, Idris Freehold, I Ltd, and in the interests of: < public safety, the commis- i sion has refused to allow, ’ any further “delaying tac- ] tics.” Ii

The company has been given six months to comply! with the Fire Code or its[ j licence could be cancelled. In December, 1978, the] (company asked the coiiimis-i sion for an exemption from I a requirement to install al I §130,000 sprinkler system.) The company argued that, because the building was due for demolition in 1989, j it would not have time to ! write off the cost. The application was declined and the company was given six

[months to meet the pro- / visions of the Fire Code. , | In May this year, the comIpany made another application to the commission to inj stall an alternative fire- | detection and alarm system : I which would cost between / $40,000 and $50,000. J In a decision released last :; week, the commission rejjected the application, saying 11 that the proposed alterna- ! tives were too vague, and gave no firm commitment to : comply with the regulations.