A DERELICT hotel's owner has hit back at criticism over lack of work carried out on the site.

Lyndon Monk, of Wilterton Ltd, said workers would be moving into The Groves Hotel, Manchester Road, Nelson, within two weeks to secure the building and stop it falling into an even worse state.

But Pendle Council's Nelson Committee is still threatening to serve a clean-up notice on the site after Mr Monk was accused of making the same promises as when he last applied for planning permission for the listed building more than a year ago. That application was refused.

The company is hoping to restore and convert the hotel to 13 flats, as well as building two new sets of apartments in the grounds. The disused building was devastated by fire two years ago.

Mr Monk said: "We have been working with the planning department and I think we can quickly move forward to a development of The Groves. Things have taken so long because it was not legally our building, but we have completed the sale now, and we can go on site."

Coun Mohammad Iqbal said: "I'm disappointed because you said all these good things about what you were planning to do last year, but it has been more than 14 months and you have not been near.

"The site has looked a dump over the last 12 months."

A decision over planning permission for converting the building was deferred until the next meeting, and officers were granted delegated powers to serve a clean-up notice if work does not begin within the next fortnight.