Newport council has taken legal action over the state of one of its most historic buildings. The legendary former TJs nightclub building on Clarence Place in Newport has been idle for many years since it was last used and has fallen badly into disrepair.
The building has been empty since its owner John Sicolo died in 2010, and last August it was reported that plans to transform the site into a budget EasyHotel were at an "advanced" stage. However work has yet to start on the redevelopment and concerns have been raised over the state of the site, with the council confirming it has taken legal action against its owners.
It said this week that it had taken action "on a number of occasions" to tackle issues at the site. It said scaffolding had been put up after officers served a dangerous structure notice on the owners, and that work on the front of the building and repairs to its roof needed to be carried out. Read more: The unseen photos of the wildest nights at the legendary TJs nightclub
TJs was once the lynchpin of the mid-90s music scene which saw the likes of Oasis and Manic Street Preachers play in the Port. It's also been the subject of myth and legend, including the often rebuked story that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain proposed to then-girlfriend Courtney Love there. You can read more about that story here.
But the sad state of the building now, a decade after its closure, shows how far things are from its '90s heyday. El Siecos, the bar and venue on High Street which was owned by Mr Sicolo's grandson Ashley Sicolo, also announced back in October 2020 that it would not be reopening after the first lockdown.
A Newport City Council spokesperson said: "Newport City Council has taken enforcement and legal action on a number of occasions to tackle issues with this privately-owned property. Scaffolding was erected after the council’s building control team served a dangerous structure notice on the owners (Section 77 of the Building Act 1984 Dangerous Buildings).
"This required stone balustrades on the front façade to be removed and stored. Other loose material that posed a risk is also to be removed and repairs carried out to the roof.
Planning officers are waiting the decision of an appeal by the current owners to Planning Environment Decision Wales against a Listed Building Enforcement Notice and a Section 215 Notice before deciding the next steps."
EasyHotel declined to comment when approached by WalesOnline.
