Torbay Council has started emergency safety works on the fire-damaged Sherwood Hotel in Torquay after the building was left in a dangerous state. The local authority is stepping in to secure the site on Belgrave Road because the property owners failed to respond to requests to make the area safe.
The hotel suffered extensive damage during two major fires over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, between 3 April and 5 April 2026. The blazes destroyed the interior and roof of the three-storey building, requiring a response from approximately 90 personnel from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. Investigators have confirmed the second fire was set deliberately, and Devon and Cornwall Police are currently looking into the incidents.
Councillor Adam Billings, Cabinet Member for Pride in Place and Parking, described the council’s intervention as an unusual measure but said it was absolutely necessary to protect the public. The council is using legal powers granted by the Building Act 1984 to carry out the work, as the building’s current condition poses serious risks to the community.
The council has appointed Gilpin Demolition to reduce the building to the first-floor level. This work is expected to take approximately three weeks to complete and will allow for the full reopening of Belgrave Road. The site sits within the Belgravia Conservation Area, and the council has stated that any future decisions regarding the property will follow standard planning and heritage processes.
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