Hotel rotunda under scrutiny

Lake Macquarie Council has stopped short of ordering the owners of a Charlestown hotel to pull down an illegally built rotunda.

The structure was built by previous owners on community-zoned land at the back of the Apollo Hotel on the Pacific Highway.

The current owners have applied to purchase or lease the land.

Last night the council decided to inspect the site before making a decision.

Councillor Barney Langford is concerned allowing the rotunda to stay could set a precedent.

"I was really concerned that we don't send the wrong message out there to people that look you can put in an unauthorised structure and then some how get it fixed up later," he said.

"I think it's really important that people behave according to the rules.

"I think it's important that we send that strong message out to the community."

Source: ABC News, 13 November 2012