PLANNING bosses at Warrington are to consider proposals for a pair of semi-detached houses on the site of the historic Ship Inn at Walton – which was demolished after partially collapsing last year.
But Walton Parish Council is opposing the scheme on the grounds the developer is not replacing like with like.
A housing development is taking place behind the pub site – and originally it was intended that the pub should form part of the development, converted for residential purposes.
But when the pub was demolished, following the collapse, the developer put in an application to build a new building on the site.
The parish council says there are “vast differences” between the proposed houses and the former pub – which was listed as a locally historic building.
They say: “The Ship Inn was an old building portraying the style of its age. It was seen as part of the heritage of the area. It was a feature of the housing development that is presently being constructed to its rear”
Planning officers are recommending the scheme be approved and the borough council’s development management committee will consider the proposals this week.
The Ship Inn as it used to be
Housing plan for former historic pub site
77 Comments
7 Comments
Nothing other than a brick by brick replica should be allowed to be built here.
I am sure I’m not alone in regretting it has not been possible to have a logical, sensible insult free debate on a matter of concern to many of us for a number of years.
Thanks for updating the article David.
I agree with SHA and also the Parish Council ie the new properties should be built in the same style as the old Ship Inn and doing that would also match them in with the other old building that still stands next to where it was (or are they planning on knocking that down too now?)
If the developers are not willing to rebuild in the same style then planning permission should be REFUSED and footprint that the Ship Inn stood on should be left empty. It’s their fault it got damaged and had to be knocked down that same day so they should put it right !!
Approval of The Ship Inn etc development was based upon WBC policy BH5. That refers to “LOCALLY IMPORTANT BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES OF ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORIC INTEREST:
Buildings and structures which, although not of national listed building status, are valued for their contribution to the local scene as good examples of local architectural styles or for their historic associations, will be included on a local list produced by the Council. Development proposals likely to have an adverse effect on a building or structure included on the Local List will not be permitted unless it can be clearly demonstrated that there are reasons for the development which outweigh the need to safeguard the particular local architectural or historic value involved, and that any damage is the minimum necessary to enable the development to proceed.”
From the documents published on line at the time of the ‘sudden unexpected collapse’, (i.e. when the site strip and other excavations were proceeding) it seems no drawings had been submitted by the developer illustrating his proposals for retaining and adapting the Ship Inn and adjacent outbuildings into the three dwellings as the WBC approval had specified. Odd?
This is exactly what was projected when the developer damaged the listed building last year. So what do Warrington Council do?, recommed that plans be approved, now that is real punishment for knocking down the ‘Ship’. So, what will happen now?, let me guess,
” If I were the developer, based on the Warrington borough council/Civil Service behaviour, I would knock any building down that stood in the way of my development”, I would like the council why I would not.
Additionally, did the developer not have public liability when the Ship was damaged?, did the council persue the developer regarding payment from thier insurance. I dont know who are the biggest mugs in all this, The sitting ‘Councilors’ or ‘US’ the ‘Warrington Voters’. If we do not de-select the current ‘sitting councillors’ at the next local elections, not only are we mugs, we are repeat offenders.
Precisely. If WBC’s approval to the scheme was worth the paper it was written on, the developer would have been required to produce drawings showing how he proposed to adapt the internal layouts of the Ship Inn and outbuildings, whilst preserving the exterior of them, to create the specified 3 dwellings. And until those drawings had been approved no work should have been permitted. In other words preservation of the Ship and OBs was a condition of approval for the whole development. Or were those words just inserted in the approval to fool the punters of Warrington?