Our 
Story

My name is Gary, and i own and run the Hatters Hotel in the resort of Skegness. In July 2021, we sold our business in Nottingham as we had become more than a little disillusioned with the city due to the number of illegal immigrants settling there. We had a rather large taxi company and witnessed firsthand, on a daily and weekly basis, the enormous problems that came with them. Long story short, we settled in Skegness in July of that year.

The hotel at the time was called the Crown Hotel and was best described as "God's waiting room." To say the place was tired is an understatement. Carpets were held together with tape (not joking), and it really hadn’t been updated probably since the late 70s. The previous owners were a little sparse with the truth, especially regarding the state of the electrics and the fire alarm system. So, we rolled up our sleeves and set about making it the place it is today. All certifications are up to date, etc.

Imagine our horror when, in September of 2021, we were approached and asked to house 54 illegal immigrants that were being placed in Skegness. Bearing in mind we knew what was coming, and these were the first of 500, also taking into account that for the last couple of hundred years, this has been a family seaside resort where we've all brought our kids for the donkey rides, ice creams, fish and chips, and the good old funfair, etc.

We were offered £536,000 per year for a ‘indefinite’ amount of time, and the requirement was for us to shut the place down, leave just one member of staff on-site 24 hours a day, and change the laundry once a week. Now, take into account that our turnover annually is around half that, and we employ 10 staff. So, was it tempting? Bloody right it was. We could have sat back for three years and lived the life of Riley.

Here's where morals and principles come into play, and you have to decide whether to become a money-grabbing thief in the night, as many others have done already and continue to do so. So, we turned down the government's grubby shilling. Naively, we decided to be part of the solution and not the problem. Our hotel is in the nicer area of Skegness, and we took into consideration that the neighbors would be horrified to have migrants down here as house prices would fall, and crime would increase, despite what the chief constable stated at a local meeting at the storehouse. We fortunately live in the real world and see corruption at all levels. We also naively believed the local people would support our stand, but, shall we say, we learn quickly. There are very few locals that support us, but the few that do have become friends as well as customers.

So the meeting at the storehouse was interesting, to say the least. I asked the local councillor to explain the protected beds policy for tourism. Like any politician or councillor, he tried to swerve around answering the question. So I pressed again, and he then confirmed that such a policy was in place. That means the council would be breaking its own planning laws, as nobody would stay in a hotel for more than 30 consecutive days. The councillor replied that legislation was passed rather quietly in May of that year (nobody knew about it) that allowed hotels to house people for an indefinite period, thus basically giving hotels HMO status, which you'd think would bring in extra revenue. At the same meeting, I asked Matt Warman, the local MP, why ELDC had increased my business rates from £14,750 overnight to a staggering £43,000 with absolutely no explanation. We had actually applied for a reduction as we had taken over a good chunk of the place for our own residential use. Mr. Warman, like all politicians, swept his hair back and said he would pop in to see us and look into it. That was in 2022, and we're still waiting. After a three-year battle and spending thousands of pounds paying an agency to fight our corner, the little man triumphed, and we won our case. To this day, neither ELDC nor the Valuation Office have offered any explanation as to why it happened. We were told that a local councillor, albeit a sneaky one, had guided ELDC and the VO to our doorstep. But again, corruption is extremely difficult to prove (they think). They should remember that whenever they tell somebody, that person will always tell one other; it's human nature.

After investing a colossal amount of money in this place, the trade simply wasn't there. People avoided Skegness in droves. So, in our infinite wisdom, we decided to look for another avenue to keep the place alive. There is a national shortage of accommodation for the elderly, so we thought, brilliant, we'll look towards residential care. My wife has experience in that field, and we are caring people, so we thought that's a great prospect. At our place, people would be treated with dignity and respect. It's not all about grabbing the money (we've proved that), as some of the grubby care homes do. So we applied for a change of use, even though we shouldn't need to, as anyone could stay indefinitely now. How wrong we were. After sending emails to various council departments, we were contacted by a local councillor whose name I'll hold back for now. He was asking where I got the information from regarding extended stays, to which I answered at the storehouse meeting attended by a few hundred people and even more police. We were even treated to a helicopter circling at taxpayers' expense. He emailed me back to state that I'd misunderstood the comment made, to which I replied that I'd misunderstood nothing, along with everybody in attendance, which was televised, publicized, and should have a record of minutes taken, as ELDC is so very professional at following protocol. He then replied by EMAIL that the legislation passed that year was solely and exclusively for illegal immigrants (for some reason, the council hates the word illegal) or migrants, as they prefer to call them. So if ever we needed confirmation that we are second-class citizens in OUR OWN COUNTRY, then this councillor has provided it by email.

We had a senior housing officer attend the hotel, and we told him of our intentions to go into residential care. Imagine this scenario: he'd been in our bar for 10 minutes and straight away said, "You won't get it as your fire alarm system isn't up to date” (which may we point out is fully accredited, up to date and certified) So, as well as being a SHO, it was remiss of me not to realize he moonlights as a fire alarm engineer. Along with my wife and architect, we moved on and asked about the possibility of going to an HMO, which surely we'd get as we had new legislation. Once again, a big NO. So, frustratingly, I said we'd go it alone without permission and ride on the back of public opinion, to which he replied and I quote, "And I'll fine you £30,000 straight away, and I won't even have to take you to court," adding, while preening himself, that the COUNCIL had the POWER TO DO THAT NOW (that's what it's really about), as it frees up court time. Oh, I forgot to add that my wife had recorded the whole conversation, albeit unbeknown to himself. So he took his sweaty little body away from our premises, obviously feeling good in the respect that he, along with his department, had again held a business back that ultimately contributes to his overpaid salary.

So I was having a conversation some time after with a senior councillor and told him both of these stories. He had a bit of a chuckle and thought I may have been exaggerating. I kindly offered to send him the recording and show him the email. The very next day, he called me and said he had to listen to the recording 3 times as he couldn’t believe his ears. He said the Preener had overstepped the mark and his position. It'd make a best seller.

In late 2022, our architect made contact with ELDC Planners to look into the possibility of building a house in a corner of our car park, thus releasing another 9 rooms in the hotel should we get permission for residential care. As a normal, rational thinking person, I didn’t think we’d have a problem as prior to us buying the place, a house was built in the opposite corner after the previous owner sold a part of the car park. A very nice, very modern house was built and didn’t quite look in keeping with the older properties, but the precedent had been set.

So in April 2023, our plan was submitted for the house, a change of use, extension to our bar and foyer, and to top it off a plethora of flagpoles around the boundary bringing us into the 21st century. This process would normally take 6-8 weeks for a decision. ELDC came back asking for an extension of time (granted). Long story short, we are almost 13 months in with no decision. We’ve submitted 3 different house designs and given a total of 5 extensions of time which ELDC have never adhered to. They’ve lost the change of use (convenient) and the extension. There were only two objections written identically from our immediate neighbor, surprisingly. We had promises from 4 different planning officers, if we can call them that, telling us they would sort it by the week's end. We’re still here, hundreds of phone calls (no exaggeration), phones never answered. Everyone is working from home from the greatest Scam-Demics the world has ever witnessed. Do they really think we believe they’re working from home?

Further confirmation, if it was ever needed, that we are second-class citizens came in April 2023 during a particularly cold spell. The council contacted us to ask if we’d take in the homeless. On this occasion, we thought long and hard but decided against it for reasons such as some homeless having alcohol or drug dependencies and being violent. With two young children under 10, we declined. The lady at the other end of the phone explained that it was only for 5 days. After that, the weather would break, and they could go back on the streets. Did you need further confirmation? So where are we at? No decision on planning or change of use. The only little victory we had was against ELDC and the VO, which should never have happened in the first place. But hey ho, these life-changing decisions matter not a jot to these overpaid, work-from-home, full of their own self-importance, entitled employees that are ultimately paid by us. In my opinion, ELDC planning department is definitely not fit for purpose. We are having to get information from another council to educate the ignorant. It’s an absolute disgrace and a waste of public money. There is absolutely no justifiable reason for any employee to work from home, is there? Apart from the WFH'ers who will kick and scream not to get back in the office. They actually have a very nice new office built in Horncastle at a tune of 8 million pounds (yes, 8 million). Pop down and have a look. It’s ELDC’s version of the Mary Celeste, deserted and manned by a couple of receptionists who, bless them, have to fend off a hoard of callers trying to get their issues resolved. As a footnote, these brand new state-of-the-art unmanned premises were not suitable to the planning department as there’s not enough room to turn the plane over. So they’ve moved into the house next door. Can you believe it? So with all the above in mind, you all need to know your place under ELDC. There’s a ton of local people who have been on the housing list for YEARS. It matters not a jot. We pay more in taxes to get fewer and fewer services. Is it just me, or is it all very morally wrong? To finish this off, I sent a similar outline, albeit a much shorter version, to the chief executive of ELDC, Robert Barlow, and Craig Leyland on the 12th March this year. No reply from either as expected.

Sadly, we have made the decision to close the hotel rooms at the end of September this year as it is simply not financially viable. We will be appealing any planning decisions if we are denied. We have invested a phenomenal amount of money into this place, and ELDC doesn't seem to care about any of it. I see them as the most incompetent council I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. They are not only incompetent but also unfit for purpose. They believe they are privileged, and to a certain extent, they are. They are privileged to have a job with a fabulous salary, pension, and numerous perks, all from the comfort of their home while looking down on the people who have put them in their positions. Shame on you, although you probably couldn't comprehend the meaning of that word. Should any councillor feel the need to try and justify any of the above, we are always here, at least until the end of September. Well done to you for not supporting your local businesses. That's why the UK has become a third-world country, and that's not even funny. By the way, if you are in need of residential care, reach out to your local council. The demand is massive and exceeds the facilities available. It may fall on deaf ears, but make yourself heard. It's YOUR COUNTRY, your parents, and grandparents fought for it. It's your BIRTHRIGHT, and not one genuine UK citizen (born here) would object unless they have one of those privileged jobs mentioned earlier.

Team Hatters: the business with principles and morals.