Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee would have approved the demolition of The Vine pub in Stone – had they had the authority to do so.
At the planning committee meeting on 2nd November, councillors were in the strange position of having to pass judgement on the bid to bulldoze The Vine to make way for housing – even though the decision now rests with the Government.
Applicant Internetbase from Birmingham appealed to the Planning Inspectorate after Stafford Borough Council failed to reach a decision over its planning application.
The application was initially submitted to the authority in February. In May, councillors deferred the proposals in order to explore the possibility of the pub, which dates back to 1812, being incorporated into the development.
However, a report to the planning committee meeting on 2nd November states no objection to the demolition of the historic pub, saying the building is in a poor condition and it would not be financially viable to transform it into a large family home.
Local town councillor Joyce Farnham called in the application to be debated by the council’s planning committee. She said: “The building is terribly important for Stone. It’s a bit of our heritage which is just being swept away and replaced by houses.”
Earlier this year, a 416-signature petition calling for the pub to be saved from demolition was submitted to the council. Local people have objected strongly to the increased vehicles that could be parking on Oulton Road, as well as the loss of a historic building and community pub.
If approved by the Planning Inspectorate, the application would see one one-bedroom property, seven two-bedroom properties and two three-bedroom homes built on the plot.
You can read the full report to the planning committee here.
