Neighbours evacuated after hotel fire can return

Evacuated residents have been allowed to return home 11 days after they were told to leave their flats following a fire at a neighbouring hotel.

The 90 flats at Pavilion Court in Folkestone were evacuated the day after a blaze at the Grand Burstin Hotel on 19 September over concerns the hotel could collapse.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council said on Thursday that it was "agreed by experts that the exclusion zone can be reduced" after an inspection of the hotel building.

"Power has been reconnected to Pavilion Court and this morning the necessary fire and safety checks were carried out," the authority said.

Britannia Hotels Group, which owns the Grand Burstin, said engineers had found the property was "not at risk of collapse" but there was "considerable damage to parts of the hotel".

The company said it hoped to "retain and rebuild sections of the building" and was "continuing to assess the full extent of the damage".

Hotel guests have not yet been able to collect their belongings from the building.

"We are working with the structural engineer and our building contractors to confirm which areas of the hotel we can access to recover belongings," a Britannia spokesperson said.

"We understand how important these personal items are to our guests and we will be starting the process of returning them as quickly as we can."

Council leader Jim Martin said he commended the patience of Pavilion Court residents "in what were extremely difficult circumstances".

"I would like to thank the many volunteers and voluntary groups who have helped our staff to support the residents as they coped with this upheaval and days of uncertainty," he said.

The council said it extra waste collections would be organised for residents clearing fridges that were turned off when the building was empty.

Kent Police said a 38-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were been arrested on suspicion of arson following the fire.

They were released while investigations continue, the force said.

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