A fascinating glimpse into one of Huddersfield’s best-known buildings - The George Hotel – has been provided by a photographic urban explorer.
The landmark Victorian building in St George’s Square was bought by dentist and businessman Dr Altaf Hussain for around £900,000 in April 2013.
The 45 photographs which have been posted online show the dilapidated interior of the once grand hotel. Poignantly there are still framed Examiner articles on one of its walls and keys to the hotel rooms visible.
Dr Hussain had ambitious plans to turn the Grade II listed building into a boutique hotel with 11 apartments and a rooftop bar and was granted planning permission by Kirklees Council.
His plans would have cut the number of hotel rooms from 60 to 30 and would have resulted in a dental surgery on the first floor and a health spa and treatment rooms in the basement.
When the Examiner was given a two-and-a-half hour tour of the hotel by Dr Hussain just days after he bought it he said he hoped to reopen it as soon as possible.
Some work was carried out but in December 2015 he decided he had had enough and put it on the market for £3 million with Leeds-based property agent Christie & Co.
Various local businessmen have expressed an interest in buying the building since then including, at one point, Junior Rashid, the owner of Lala’s curry restaurant situated just across the road from the George, who said he would pay £1.5m.
However, the building remains unsold more than two years on.
The building is regarded as the birthplace of rugby league with the founding meeting of the rugby league held at the 60-bed hotel in 1895.
Today (Fri) Huddersfield Labour MP Barry Sheerman, who had originally hoped a major investor would buy it and restore it to its former glory as a high quality, four-star hotel, and was displeased when Dr Hussain bought it, met him to discuss the way forward.
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It is thought any prospective buyers have baulked at the cost of the asking price, potential restrictions of the building’s use due to its listed status and the lack of parking spaces.
Councillor Andrew Cooper said: "The owner needs to get on with developing and reopening ‘The George Hotel’ sharpish.
"The longer the building remains open and insecure the greater the risk is."
