Pub company Wetherspoon’s remains committed to converting a historic city centre hotel even though the building has been boarded up for more than a year.
JD Wetherspoon took over The Bull and Stirrup in Upper Northgate Street, Chester, last autumn with the promise of a £2.3m investment to create one of its branded hotels, previously known as WetherLodges.
However, the hotel has remained boarded up since it closed last August.
Spokesman Eddie Gershon said there was ‘no real reason for the delay’ other than the company ‘has numerous sites which it is developing/set to develop and they go into a schedule’.
He added: “To date the Chester site has not been given on site or opening dates. Wetherspoon is still keen as ever to develop the site and will do so.”
Planning and listed building consent has already been obtained, allowing a single storey rear extension and internal alterations to provide 10 refurbished hotel bedrooms with en-suite facilities and new WC facilities to upper floors.
The spokesman confirmed there was no truth in the rumour Wetherspoon wished to extend next door into the vacant GP surgery.
And the premises licence has now been amended allowing the pub to open from 7am and sell alcohol on and off the premises from 9am seven-days-a-week. This is in line with the Wetherspoon’s operated Forest House in Love Street but the company’s Square Bottle premises in Foregate Street which can sell alcohol from 8am.
Related story: New Chester Wetherspoon's hopes to sell drink from 9am
Mr Gershon added: “Wetherspoon has all the permissions it requires to go on site and start developing – planning and licensing etc.”
The Bull and Stirrup has a lot of history. For example, On August 31, 1972, the pub famously hosted a strike committee, including one Ricky Tomlinson, which led to the first ever national strike by building workers.
Ricky was among the 24-strong ‘Shrewsbury Pickets’ later prosecuted for unlawfully plotting to intimidate workers on building sites into joining the action and he served 16 months in jail. The surviving pickets are still fighting to clear their names.
Ten years ago, in 2005, there was a furore when the Bull and Stirrup hosted erotic table top dancing in an upstairs room in a first for the city centre.
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