The Hyde Park Corner pub shut its doors in July 2015, and there’s already plans lodged with Salford City Council to demolish it for 38 new flats.
The pub and 0.4ha site at the corner of Blackburn Street and Silk Street in Salford, is owned by the Joseph Holts brewery.
Despite being a popular community pub it was deemed non-essential, and more valuable as land for housing.
The plans include 19 one-bed and 19 two-bed apartments in grey brick across three and four storeys fronting the two streets, cutting the number of car parking spaces by nine to 15, but adding two disabled spaces and 8 cycle parking spaces.
Mega-developer Knight Knox, which is headquartered on Salford Quays, put in the application through its subsidiary KKI Land 4 Limited.
KKI are due to build new housing on the former Salford Skills Centre on Liverpool Street after buying it from Salford City Council for £650,000
They are also behind X1 MediaCityUK, a £200 million development of four tower blocks, and 133 flats planned for vacant land on Trafford Road.
Former Hyde Park Corner manager Chris Hudson, 31, slammed the plans, telling SalfordOnline.com: “The closure of the pub has really broken up the local community.
“For the many people that drank in there over the years, the ‘bread and butter’ as I called them, it’s such a shame.
“It was a drop-in kind of pub with plenty of passing trade, but we also had a great batch of regular old folk that enjoyed the music nights, the old time card players, two great darts teams and just the ones that liked to have a quiet pint on their own
“It’s ruined a great past for people, he added.
Hyde Park Corner was built at the corner of Silk Street and Blackburn Street in the early 1900s. It went through a total rebuild in 1991.
The original incarnation of the Hyde Park Corner pub
The former Hyde Park Corner pub building on Blackburn Street in the 1970s
“In the three years I was there it was a place for friends to come and meet, and we had popular disco nights,” said Chris.
“I wouldn’t want to forget the younger generation as well, most of our younger drinkers don’t get the credit they deserve.
“We had a great crowd of younger folk and never a ounce of trouble, everybody got on and looked after each other. Most of all they looked after me.”
Planning documents state that because of council policy on areas of lower land value, there is no obligation for the developer to make any of the flats available for shared ownership or affordable rent/sale.
The area around Silk Street has 88% social housing spaces, compared to just 18% nationally.
They add: “The nearby Adelphi Wharf development, which is currently under construction, contains 12 three-bed apartments and seven three-bed houses. This would satisfy current demand for this type of property in the area.
“Add to this the length of time it would take to achieve a sale on these properties then it is considered that this could potentially make the development unviable.
Read: ‘No need’ for £670k fees for £75m Adelphi Wharf, say council
Read: Phase one of £75m Adelphi Wharf sold out two years ahead of completion
“Being able to deliver a viable scheme would add to more home ownership in the area,” say Knight Knox.
The plans are now being considered by Salford City Council.
