A Victorian pub in Salford will be knocked down to make way for 400 flats.
Salford City Council ruled today that the Black Horse Hotel on the Crescent can be demolished as part of a planning application to build three tower blocks in its place.
Objecting, the Victorian Society said the plans were “a poor scheme… setting a dangerous precedent for inappropriate development in conservation areas everywhere”.
The pub is today in a sorry state of repair, but remains on the council’s own Local List of buildings of historical note.
Built in 1875, it has been shut since 2000.
It was hoped that even the red-brick facade of the building could be saved, but with this planning permission greenlit, developers can level the pub to the ground.
A 22-storey block of flats will built in its place.
Victorian Society: Save Salford’s Black Horse Hotel from ‘Done deal’ demolition
The Victorian Society stepped into mount last-minute objections but at an hour-long meeting of the council’s Planning and Transportation Regulatory Panel today the scheme was passed.
Spekaing before today’s meeting the Society said it had “rarely seen such an unsympathetic and inappropriate proposal”.
Will there be same acrimony for today’s council planners as those who allowed the heart to be ripped out of nearby Cross Lane?
A spokesperson for Fred Done’s company said in the meeting that they were “Salfordians…trying to bring The Crescent back to life,” the Salford Star reports.
Ordsall-born Betfred billionaire Fred Done’s company Property (Done) Limited put in plans to build 405 flats on the site of the derelict Victorian pub back in November 2015.
This was later dropped to 399 flats spread across three buildings: a six storey block that fronts the busy A6 Crescent, a 17 storey block that runs parallel to Gaythorne Street and Oldfield Road, and the tallest tower, a 22-storey block dubbed ‘Crescent Courtyard’ which would sit back from the Crescent.
In a statement James Hughes, Senior Victorian Society Conservation adviser, said: “This morning’s decision is disappointing.
“As we pointed out in our objection, the great harm that the scheme would cause to the Conservation Area and to listed buildings was not justified in planning terms and fails to comply with local and national policy.
“The opportunities provided by a site of this size means the loss of the locally listed Black Horse Hotel is unnecessary.
“This is a poor scheme which sets a dangerous precedent for inappropriate development in conservation areas everywhere.
“Once we have seen the details of the Council’s decision We will consider whether a challenge would be appropriate.”
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