VILLAGERS are concerned that an ‘eyesore’ pub could still be saved despite being rejected as a listed building.
Plans to demolish The Robin Hood Hotel, on Chester Road, Helsby were shelved after a member of Cheshire West and Chester Council applied for it to become a listed building.
Despite the application being rejected, residents are concerned that the pub could be saved if the council continue to push for it to be labelled a ‘building of local interest’.
The fears came after previous plans to turn the Horse and Jockey Pub in Helsby into 14 homes were rejected in 2009 by CWaC because demolishing the building would have resulted in the loss of a building which was of “local historical importance”.
Helsby Parish council clerk Jeanette Hughes said: “We are very concerned that even though it will not be protected as a listed building, the council might try to push for it to become a building of local interest.
“This happened to the Horse and Jockey Pub. If it becomes a building a local historical interest it could mean no-one can touch it without extensive consultations.
“As a parish council we support the application to demolish the pub, it has been derelict for far too long.”
Developers for the Robin Hood Hotel are hoping to demolish the derelict building and turn it into 13 new homes, and a resubmitted plan has been adapted to include the existing Horse and Jockey in plans to turn the site into 10 homes.
A CWaC spokeswoman said: “We believe that the Robin Hood does not warrant being demolished.
“If any planning applications are made on the site we will consider whether we can protect the building from demolition by including it as a building of local historic significance.”
