Since the fire in January that gutted the historic Jolly Frog Hotel in Windsor, Council has had meetings with the owners to work out a plan to restore it.
The building isn’t state-heritage listed, but is listed as a Heritage Item of Local Significance in the Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan.
Speaker Kerrie Wilson addressed the July 29 Council meeting where she said the Jolly Frog was an iconic building built in the 1880s and the community should be kept better informed on the situation since the fire.
‘‘What are the responsibilities of the owner to protect the building?’’ she asked. ‘‘I think there should at least be a tarpaulin over the roof to protect it from the elements — this hasn’t happened.
‘‘Council should stand to ensure this building is protected . . . there hasn’t been any proof of this.’’
General manager Peter Jackson said the building had been secured on many occasions, but unknown people kept breaking in, resulting in it continually being boarded up.
‘‘At this stage we are unable to access the upper level of the building to place a tarp on it as it’s unsafe,’’ he said.
‘‘A heritage assessment of the building is being undertaken at the moment to work on the building as a whole rather than have interim measures that may or may not work.’’
Mr Jackson said Council was working with the owners with the aim of retaining the privately-owned building.
Director of city planning Matt Owens said there was no timeframe for when any work would start.
The Gazette will continue to follow the progress of the Jolly Frog’s restoration.
