Couple campaigns to save their wedding venue

A couple are campaigning to save the hotel where they got married after the building has been derelict for four years.

Tess and Des Shephard celebrated their wedding at the Riviera Hotel in Weymouth in 2018 before the building went on to close in 2022 following storm damage.

Tess, who is behind the Revive the Riviera campaign to get new ownership at the hotel said it was "a lovely building" and she was just seeing what she could do to help.

The grade II listed building, which was built in 1936 was purchased by Saudi based owners in 2009 under the company Bowleaze Limited.

The Shephards currently live in Surrey but Tess said they have hopes to move down to Weymouth in the future.

She called the current state of the hotel "very sad" and believed that it could be "a gold mine" for the local community "if looked after properly".

She said they have about 60 people in support of their campaign to find new ownership for the site.

Tess said: "The Riviera has come to mean a lot. It's such an iconic building.

"It would be a shame to knock it down and turn it into luxury flats that no one can afford."

Local authorities have several discretionary powers they can use to tackle unsightly or dangerous properties.

This includes requiring the owner to make the property safe or the council taking emergency action to make the building safe.

South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton said people are "frustrated" to see the building fall into disrepair.

He said local people are "paying the price for a building that is unloved, unused and allowed basically to fall into the sea".

Hatton said his priority is getting the hotel bought back from overseas ownership and he stated that they have had interest from local businesses.

The BBC has been unable to contact the current owner of the Riviera Hotel for a comment.