Rye News has received the following update from the owners of the George on the progress of necessary works before full refurbishment can begin.
We are grateful for the continuing public interest shown in the refurbishment of The George Hotel and remain hugely appreciative of the support shown by the community. We are pleased to report that the stabilisation and propping of the internal structure of the building is well underway. This will provide safe platforms for the removal of debris and the necessary support to the fragile structure of the damaged building before perimeter scaffolding can be safely constructed.
The external scaffolding and protective roof has been extremely complicated to design in order not to impose additional loadings on the historic fabric of the building. The design is complete and we are hopeful that construction of the scaffold will start before Christmas. Please note that the construction industry closes for two weeks over the holiday period and the construction of the scaffold needs to be at a safe stage to leave for two weeks, so the exact timing is still under review, but we are doing everything we can.
We know that there have been concerns about the rain and the fact that the building is partially open to the elements. We would like to reassure anyone worried about further damage that the building continues to be inspected by structural engineers and heritage experts, who provide us with a regular report on the condition of The George. It has been confirmed by our team of experts that the extent of the original fire and water damage is not being increased as a result of the rain, and we will have the protective covering in place as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so.
We are working with the Rother District Council Conservation team and they continue to be supportive and understanding of the complexities of the building, its constrained site and the tasks needed to be sequenced in the right order to reinstate the building in a safe manner and as quickly as possible. We look forward to being able to give more updates in the coming weeks and months, and thank you again for your continued support for this undertaking.
Image Credits: John Minter .