Stephen Purvis, the man behind Sandown’s Ocean Hotel, failed to appear before Magistrates on the Isle of Wight this morning (Tuesday) to face a charge of failure to comply with a community protection notice.
41-year-old Purvis, of Windlestone Park in Ferryhill, Durham, was due before the court on a single charge of failing to comply with a community protection notice, contrary to sections 48(1), (2)(a) and 52 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. However, he failed to attend and the case has been pushed back 3 weeks to 4th October.
Earlier this year Hampshire Constabulary issued a Community Protection Notice against Phoenix Commerical Property Developments Ltd (PCPD) over the state of the Ocean Hotel on Sandown Esplanade. The order required the owner of the building to put up a secure perimeter fence, install CCTV and board up every access point on every level of the building.
However, the order was not completed, started or even attempted resulting in criminal charges being brought against Stephen Purvis. Purvis was listed as a director of the company until just 11 days ago when Companies House was updated to say that he resigned from his directorship on 1st June 2022. Just last week the registered office address of the company was changed from Windlestone in Durham to Micklegate in York.
Purvis remains a person with significant control, namely owning more than 75% of the company.
The Isle of Wight Council has also tried to take action to get the eyesore hotel cleaned up, but PCPD appealed the official notice in the Magistrates Court. The appeal was thrown out in July as PCPD failed to comply with the timeline set out by the court. As a result, PCPD has been ordered to pay £2,000 costs.
The company now has just 2 days left to carry out 13 actions laid down by the Council otherwise they will be in breach of the Section 215 notice.
In recent years the hotel has attracted vandals and arson attacks, with a major fire in May last year worsening its condition. As recently as this week youths have been inside the building, throwing objects from the upper floors towards the public below.
So has he got away with it, as he has resigned as a Director?
If he was a director while the offences were committed he is still liable. Pinning him down to extract any cash might be a different matter.
How many time do you have to ignore court orders before Contempt is committed?
He has probably been advised by his defence Lawyer to play the game.
Nothing will happen, a woman stabbed another woman in the head with a chisel and shes out and about. Who cares about some old building? Why are the police (one i went to school with in this picture) are SO intent on this weird PR campaign to make them look like their actually doing their job? Crime has risen on the Island (im talking mainly about violent), but SEND FIVE OFFICERS TO POSE INFRONT OF AN ABANDONED BUILDING. Pathetic response from a pathetic police force. Sure Donna Jones set up this PR stunt. She likes pictures and gives grand statements on how hard she works yet no results are ever yielded. The police have followed suit
Just go and arrest him for non compliance and take him into court.
Stop pussy footing around and just make him sort it out, it’s a disgrace
anyone else an arrest warrant would have been issued he was in charge when offences committed
Whoopi Doo missed a 215 what will he get for that.
Why as serving police officers would you agree to a smiling photo shoot in front of this sad building. Every time I walk past it I feel angry, Please have it demolished and build something new and useful that Sandown can enjoy and be proud of.
It’s a disgrace. They should lock him up and throw away they key. Sandown deserves better.
In predominantly civil proceedings there is a carefully laid out proceedure which eventually results if they dot the I’s and cross the T’s in compulsory purchase of the property by the council.
And look what happened to the Ice Rink at Ryde.
Compulsory purchase time
F.F.S
I still think the owners could make a fortune from ghost hunting events and stag and hen nights. Just make it safe, minimal cost, and away you go.
Knock Sandown down. It’s a dump
I see Purvis is a fine upstanding Conservative. Unfortunately this is what the Tories now stand for, greed, self interest and disregard for anyone bar themselves. After twelve years of mismanagement the country is in a total mess. The Tory membership are now in a slight majority of renationalising the utilities, strange Corbyn has been advocating this for years.
And round and round we go again! It’s truly pathetic. I suppose he’s too wealthy to be arrested…..