THEY’RE an iconic part of our west coast landscape that many want to see unchanged.

But now after decades of serving lovers of one of the best views in the island, the Rockmount and neighbouring Cobo Bay Hotel are facing a potentially rocky future.

At the centre of the uncertainty lies the fact that the current Rockmount leaseholders will relinquish the reins – reluctantly – at the end of the year when the family’s agreement with owner Randall’s Brewery finishes.

It will bring to a close a 47-year run, complete a tenure that has spanned generations and mark the end of an era for the island’s hospitality sector.

While the pub and restaurant is expected to continue, hopefully to the satisfaction of online Save the Rocky campaigners, less clear is what will happen to the hotel next door.

Although owned by the family, it relies on a shared car park belonging to the brewery – an agreement now in doubt due to a sticking point over a proposed change in conditions.

If accord cannot be reached, or a nearby field converted for replacement parking, the worst-case scenario could see the hotel owners pull the business from the tourist map, something the sector will be loathe to see happen.

To the onlooker it all seems extremely unfortunate that a situation and working relationship, which appears to have worked well for years, cannot be sorted out amicably and certainly without redress to a change of use planning application.

Is it really necessary to lose another field to Tarmac or, worse, close one of Guernsey’s iconic hotels which has long been part of our island’s heritage purely because two parties cannot strike a deal?

The point, surely, is that two establishments have co-existed over the decades on the basis of a shared car park. The brewery might be using the end of the lease to negotiate terms more favourable to itself but, as the Nussbaumers know only too well, that is business.

In the meantime, the prospect of creating yet another car park – and on a greenfield site – because of a trade disagreement makes no sense.