Plans to Demolish Former Village Pub Will be Debated For Second Time

A disused pub in a Wrexham village could soon be demolished to make way for housing.

In a report due before Wrexham Council’s Planning Committee next week it has been proposed that plans to demolish the former Royal Oak public house, Ponciau, are granted.

If approved the site will be used to develop a pair of semi-detached houses.

Communal car parking would also be provided to the north of the dwellings along with new vehicular access off Brynydd.

This is the second the time the application has gone before the committee, having previously been considered and subsequently deferred in October 2016.

Due to the loss of a public house the report notes that ‘policy S9 is applicable’ – which seeks to protect local facilities such as public houses and states that developments that entail their loss will only be permitted where:

a) the use is no longer viable and all reasonable attempts to sell or let the business over a 12 month period have proved unsuccessful or;
b) the building is in a derelict or unsightly condition and the proposal would bring about substantial environmental improvements; and
c) the loss of the facility would not prove detrimental to the social and economic fabric of its locality

Further information on the ‘compliance’ with S9 was requested by councillors at October’s meeting, with questions asked over how long the pub was marketed prior to the proposals being made to demolish.

In the amended report, Head of Environment and Planning: Lawrence Isted notes that correspondence from previous owners of the site show that ‘over the period August 2013 to November 2014 the volume of alcohol sales from the premises was very low’ and ‘Admiral Taverns considered the volume of sales to be unsustainable and this is why the public house closed’.

It is also noted that the property ‘had been marketed ‘to let’ for 2 years prior to closure and had previously been placed on the market for sale in November 2013’.

Mr Isted continues onto say: “The additional information provided by the applicants suggests that, in all likelihood, the public house was no longer viable at the time of closure.

“Furthermore appropriate efforts to both let and sell the business as a going concern have been made. I therefore remain of the opinion that the loss of the public house will not adversely impact upon the social and economic fabric of the locality and therefore the proposals do not conflict with policy S9.”

Concerns about the proposals had also been previously raised by the local Community Council, who said they objected to the plans because: “They feel that one of the oldest and most iconic buildings in the area will be lost and that the area will lose character.”

It was also requested by the Community Council that should the application be granted that ‘the plaque above the public house door, is somehow incorporated into the new building’.

However Mr Isted notes: “The Community Council’s objections appears to relate to the loss of the building rather the use of it as a public house. Furthermore no representations have been received from local residents regarding the loss of the public house either.

“Whilst noting the Community Council’s comments, the building is not listed nor does it lie within a Conservation Area so is not afforded any specific protection by planning policy.”

The application will be discussed by Wrexham Council’s Planning Committee on Monday 5 December. For those who cannot attend the meeting it will be webcast live on the Wrexham Council website from 4pm.