A Nantwich pub and hotel could be demolished to make way for more housing, it has emerged.
Plans have been submitted to knock down The Red Lion Hotel on Barony Road to make way for 21 new properties.
The proposals have been submitted to Cheshire East Council by Renew Land Developments Ltd.
It includes plans for 17 three and four bedroom homes, and two blocks of two flats.
Amid the plans, pub owners Punch Taverns say the pub is “not sustainable” after having four different operators over the past nine years.
“The business struggles to be a profitable and sustainable pub,” say the plans.
“Punch are unable secure any other form of lease agreement beyond a Tenancy at Will agreement for the property.
“The rent has to be set at a low level so that the publican can at least afford to pay their bills and trade at a marginal profit.
“Punch does not make a profit on this rent and retains all responsibility for the building structure.
“Without Punch Taverns artificially supporting the operator the business would have to close. The business is not sustainable.”
But Nantwich Town Councillors expressed their disappointment at the prospect of losing another pub.
And they raised concerns about plans for access to the new development from the narrow Vauxhall Road.
Cllr Arthur Moran said: “It is always sad to see the loss of a pub in Nantwich.
“These small developments of 21 houses just add to the total that we keep getting in Nantwich.
“I am also worried that plans include access from Vauxhall Road. Anyone using that road trying to get onto Barony Road know how busy it is.
“That end of town is getting very busy with a lot of extra traffic.”
Cllr Douglas Bowyer-Bates questioned whether the development would provide affordable housing for first-time buyers.
Councillors agreed to query this in representations to Cheshire East Council’s planning team.
The Red Lion IS making money, but not enough it would seem to fuel the greed of Punch Taverns who are systematically eroding our traditional British way of life. Please support our campaign to keep the Red Lion open by opposing the application on the Cheshire East planning website here http://planning.cheshireeast.gov.uk/applicationdetails…
This will only take a few minutes of your time. There is also a petition held behind the bar at the Red for anyone who wishes to visit. It will be a travesty if the Red were to be demolished for the sake of 21 homes when only a couple of hundred yards away hundreds more homes are to be built near to Reaseheath as well as those off Queens Drive etc. Please vote.
Welcome to capitalism. Punch Taverns only interest is to make as much money as possible. Welcome to Tory Britain.
The link you gave gets you to the planning site, what is the application number?
Not only the Red Lion has to go if the development is approved but the
buildings at the rear. One of which houses a small but thriving Gym. The gym specialises in weight training, boxing training and powerlifting. It was opened in 1986 as a Police/Community venture by myself when I was Sergeant at Nantwich Police Station.It is currently run by my Son Steve. It is non profit, is a members club originally approved and sponsored by Greenalls brewery. The gym has helped to produce champions such as Ken Parry of Crewe(British Masters powerlifter) Ken Lawton kick boxing champion and currently, Michael Phipps of Nantwich 2015 European Bronze medallist. The first gym of its kind in Nantwich, well established and continues with the kind tolerance of Punch brewery but an amenity soon to be lost if the plans go ahead.
We do not object to the plan for housing but grieve for the loss of the gym.
Why are so many landmarks being demolished for lesser builds?
There is no reason why this pub needs to be raised to the ground, it could be converted into apartments.
Is planning here so blinkered they seem to pander to the whims of big developers they cannot see a more interesting way to use the site?
Look at the BBC programme of conversion from older terraces to something really exciting.
Did they say let’s demolish? No they did not!!!!
Time to call time on these vandals.
I agree – watch this space for yet more charisma-free ‘architecture’ which makes zero contribution to the character of the town. You only have to look at the recent new buildings on Barony Road.
But ‘Nigel’, you’re a planning consultant who lives in Nantwich.
I hate to state the obvious but, unless I am mistaken, you are helping to enable the very ‘charisma-free architecture’ you are critical of in your post above.
If the pup was ran properly, and gave the comunity what they wanted, it would survive.
How many are Weatherspoons closing ?
That simply isn’t true. Pubs are closing every single day because people are using them less and less. We can argue about why, but the number of pubs in the country is decreasing every year.
And even Wetherspoon’s close down. The one in Whitchurch is one such example.
Well the Southerners need houses so lets get building!!
Another pub gone and by the sound of it one that is still making money. The problem is the ridiculous inflation in property prices we have had over the past 20 years or so. The value of that land if planning consent is obtained is so ridiculously high that almost any use other than housing is less profitable.
Again, a typical lack of foresight. Remove the character and history from a town and replace with a few insignificant homes. When the Kingsley fields development is built, I suppose the occupants will not want character, the new owners will be happy to stay in. Surely the community of Nantwich is enriched by its history, and its character should be part of new developments, giving much needed variety and pleasure, rather than the monotonous uninspiring boxes of low quality build. Its a race to the bottom, and projects like this are fueling it. I am sad for the next generation.