More than 100 people attended a public meeting in Lincoln, where businessman Jonathan Pass detailed his rejected bid to buy and revamp The Lawn complex.
The hotelier already owns Charlotte House Hotel in the complex, as well as several other properties in the uphill area, including upmarket accommodation and restaurants.
He revealed on Monday evening that he offered the City of Lincoln Council £1 million for the parts of The Lawn complex on sale, with further £2.5 million in development costs.
The majority of people attending supported the plans and called upon the City of Lincoln Council to take action and not let The Lawn get run down.
As previously reported, his plans included turning The Lawn into a boutique hotel, with bars, restaurants and green areas open to the public.
But he was the only one to place a bid for the complex, and the City of Lincoln Council rejected his bid as it fell short of the council’s price expectation.
The City Council put The Lawn on sale last year because retaining the property was no longer feasible due to mounting maintenance costs.
“This is really a substantial building. We could really make it work. It could be the third jewel in the crown of Lincoln,” Jonathan Pass said.
“We bid what we thought was market value. We also submitted a much higher bid, but was refused as well unfortunately.
“I don’t think [the rejection] is about the money, so much as it is about the ideas,” he added.
Under the terms of The Lawn sale, access for the Christmas Market, organised by the City Council, would have still been maintained on the premises.
The County Council is spending £20 million to revamp Lincoln Castle with a new vault to showcase Magna Carta, complete wall tours and free access by 2015.
Councillor Eddie Poll, Executive for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council, was also present at the meeting.
He said: “I don’t see [the plans] being in conflict with anything we’re doing across here. Almost anything you do here it’s going to be better than this at the moment.
“I don’t know why the City Council rejected his bid. I’m sure they have their reasons and I’m sure they would be able to justify those to anybody who asked.”
Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Leader of the City of Lincoln Council, said: “The situation with the Lawn remains the same – the council feels it would be improper to sell such an important building based on just one bid.
“It is our duty as owners of The Lawn to ensure that we secure its future in the best possible way, and we are now taking time to consider the options available for the building.”
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The unbelievable moment a seagull got its beak round a duckling on a riverbed in Lincoln has been captured by a local wildlife photographer.
The picture was taken by Tony Cooper, 66, who is retired from his day job and has spent about 12 years photographing wildlife as a hobby, using a 400mm lens on a full frame camera.
He saw it take place at Hartsholme Park, with the seagull grabbing the duckling by the head and forcing it down its throat. Tony shared the footage on social media, garnering a mixed reaction and prompting a debate.
Some say it is just an act of nature captured on camera, while others have said it is too much and should not have been shared, but Tony argues there’s more to wildlife than the nice shots.
He told The Lincolnite: “From a photographic perspective it makes for a dramatic story and shows people the other side of nature, which is not all about bunnies and butterflies.
“I get out doing wildlife most days and see this side to nature a lot, but don’t always get a shot so it makes a change to be able to put this side over in spite of mixed reactions.
“Wildlife programmes show a lot worse than this so I’m a bit surprised by some of the reactions I get.”
Officers were called to reports of a burglary in progress at a premises on Harlow Street, Grimsby at 5:20am this morning (Thursday 26 May).
Following a prompt response from officers five men (from London, Essex and Loughborough) have been arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Whilst carrying out a search of the area and property officers also discovered a cannabis grow at the premises alongside equipment often used when growing cannabis.
Electricity had also been abstracted dangerously.
If you have any information that may assist us with our enquiries, please contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 46 of 26 May.
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