Dolphin Hotel squatters are ordered out
SQUATTERS evicted from the Dolphin Hotel have vowed to carry on their work.
The group of around 15 people have been staying in the city centre property since January 31, but yesterday a County Court Judge granted an interim possession order to the landlord, Somerset businessman Altaf Nanji.
-
Cwtch Community squatters march through Swansea from the old Dolphin Hotel to Swansea’s County Court to fight eviction
It means the group, who established the Cwtch Community Centre at the hotel, will have 24 hours from when the order is served to leave the premises.
Speaking following the hearing, one of the members of the centre, known as Rev, said they will carry on their work even if they have to find new premises.
At the hearing in Swansea's Civil Justice Centre, Mr Nanji's barrister, Natasha Moran, said he had been looking to bring the building back into commercial use and had been using property agents in Cardiff to help find a tenant.
Mr Nanji took on the lease of the property at the beginning of January and had applied for the order in a bid to move the group on.
They had established the community centre and offered shelter to the homeless.
Giving evidence to the hearing one of the group, D Murphy, said "We entered the building at 5.30am.
"We put a ladder up and made our way along a canopy up to the window and entered. The police came around in the morning and searched the building and found no evidence of criminal damage or of a break-in.
"Cwtch has been providing a brilliant service to the community. When we open, people without homes take shelter here and elderly ladies come for coffee."
Summing up, Judge Christopher Vosper said while the work the centre was doing was "undoubtedly" good work for the community, he was unable to use any discretion while deliberating over the case and found in favour of Mr Nanji, who had proven he had a right to immediate possession of the property.
"Many of the public may well agree with the arguments of the defendants," he said.
Following the decision, Rev, who spoke at the hearing, said they had been "overwhelmed" by the support they had received from members of the public.
"There are no hard feelings, it is a business for him.
"It is quite sad we are going to have to move out," he said.
"The centre will go on whatever happens, hopefully providing a service for the people of Swansea and particularly those in need.
"The support we have had has been overwhelming, we had 356 signatures on our petition just from the weekend."
The property has been vacant for around two years. There will be a final possession order hearing at a date which as not yet been confirmed.
robert.goodman@swwmedia.co.uk
31 Comments
View all
by wynperkins
Thursday, February 16 2012, 1:57AM
“I am a scruff and often get called it but I often look down my nose to those people and ask them if they earn more than me, quite often the answer is no, I walk away with feeling comfy with what I wear and they walk away looking stupid in their cheep suits, I own a cheep suit I bought tailored in Thailand, only cost me 30 quid but looks a lot better than a Burtons suit and I only need to wear it at weddings or funerals, otherwise give me a pair of cut off jeans or combats with a t-shirt, GO CWTCH :)”
by nikkisha
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 11:22PM
“guys check bob out check his big home nice car all for wat he lives for follow him guys”
by nikkisha
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 11:19PM
“i have a nice placse for the squatters to stay in bobevans bk garden he has a big enough garden or ask him to put u up for the night but u cant robbbbbb him ok guys thats wats he calling u”
by hadoken1977
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 10:13PM
“"So you dont care and thats ok by you is it? Great, so now perhaps you'll stop your inane comments"
Dick_e, any inane comments from me are simply due to the inane actions I am talking about, you perceive my comments as inane becuase you agree with the actions of the inane people,or you are one of them. But lets not get into semantics.
Just in the same way you agree breaking and entering is fine, my only cause here is to highlight the deluded actions of cwtch and its followers and disrupt any online campaign you might have.
In the same way you enjoy breaking and entering, I enjoy breaking your online campaign, I have no problem spending a minuted everyday to throw a spanner in your works, just as you do for the tennants of property.
Call me a virtual squatter if you want. And like you, if and when I get evicted, I just move onto another alias and do it all over again :)”
by mmmelezzz
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 6:32PM
“Whether or not anyone agrees or disagrees with the Cwtch group's methods is not important here. The fact is that there are too many empty properties in the city centre so lets work with the council and the owners of the properties to come up with valid ways to use them. This is OUR town and we should be proud of it. Tearing each other to shreds isn't the way forward here. Coming up with constructive alternatives is.”
by chelsea1955
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 6:28PM
“BUNCH OF SCRUFFS”
by BobEvans2011
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 6:14PM
“Just why the police do not just arest them I do not know. They will almost ceratainly have commited criminal offence such as using the water supply & toilets
The sooner the new legislation comes in making it an offence to squat in a building the better. Under the new legislation if asked to leave by the owners or an appointed representative or the police they will have to leave or face prosecution”
by hadoken1977
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 5:59PM
“St _Thom. you really are a silly tool aren't you, the FACT is in this very article, let me quote it....
"Giving evidence to the hearing one of the group, D Murphy, said "We entered the building at 5.30am.
"We put a ladder up and made our way along a canopy up to the window and entered. The police came around in the morning and searched the building and found no evidence of criminal damage or of a break-in."
Always happy to make people like you look stupid and highlight your misplaced confidence.
Bye for now....
Lord Williams”
by St_Thomasina
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 5:34PM
“"FACT: using a ladder to climb through a window at 530am is breaking and entering, anything you say and do to defend your actions is factually stupid and deluded and you deserve everything you get."
If you're going to get so high and mighty about what is a fact, you better be more careful with how you construct your argument.
1) "FACT: Using a ladder to climb through a window at 5:30am is breaking an entering" Technically, this statement is NOT a fact. This COULD be true. Depends who's window and who's using the ladder... Obviously I am well aware you are refering to how the Cwtch group entered this building, but if your statement is inferring that I have been using ladders at 5:30am to enter buildings, I'd like to know exactly which building I have supposedly entered.
I take it you have responded in such a belligerent manner as you assume I am in support of the Cwtch group. My original post made no refernce to feelings either way.
So I come back to my original statement. "Opinions that are not based on fact are worth nothing. That is all."”
by dick_e
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 4:49PM
“@hadoken1977 "Looks like the scruffs have broken into JT Morgan this time. That's ok,....."
"Who cares, as long as they are out of sight/sound and not damaging the city centre (as they were) then no one cares including me.Perhaps they can go to highstreet...."
So you dont care and thats ok by you is it? Great, so now perhaps you'll stop your inane comments”