QUESTIONS have been raised over progress on the site of the former pub at Castle Hill.

Clr Ken Sims, the Cabinet’s member for regeneration, came under fire from Clr John Smithson at the meeting yesterday.

The site of the pub and car park has been empty for about three years, after developers the Thandi brothers breached planning permission and were forced to take down the pub they were rebuilding.

The Thandis had been given a deadline to submit new plans for the site, but Clr Sims removed the time limit.

Clr Smithson asked if this meant Clr Sims was happy for the matter to stay unresolved.

“Does it not mean he is content for no progress to be made?” he asked.

Clr Sims said he removed the deadline so that the council did not have to pay for the cost of maintaining the land, which is currently leased to the Thandis.

He added that discussions between the council and the Thandis were under way about the future of the site.

“They are really trying and spending a lot of money to come up with an application that’s favourable all round. We have a duty as a council to sit down and talk,” he said.