News: Demolition planned at historic Rotherham pub
A fire-damaged former pub in Rotherham that is on the brink of collapse would be demolished under newly submitted plans - but its historic frontage would be saved.
Satnam Urban Regeneration Ltd has recently applied for planning permission to demolish most of the Alma Tavern on Westgate.
Although the building is not listed (unlike the saved and re-opened Cutler's Arms next door), permission is required as it is located in the town centre's conservation area.
Plans state that the proposal would leave the front façade (reduced to first storey window lintel high) to be structurally supported using steelworks. The top apex stone works would be in-tombed on site for possible future use.
The Alma Tavern possesses an attractive and valuable façade, probably the last memory of Rotherham’s earliest commercial brewery, Bentleys, but in 2012 a fire in the roof space caused further damage.
Advertisement
The plans add: "The structure has been subject to multiple fires and has became inhabitable ... the fire damage to the roof has caused large sections of the roof without any covering allowing rain water to enter the building ... this has caused major water damaged to rot through the joists of the first floor which has now fallen to ground level and is leaning on the front facade, this compounded by the foliage growing through the masonry which has removed large sections of mortar has put the building at the point where collapsed [sic] is inevitable."
Developer, Satnam had hoped to demolish the Alma Tavern and Cutler's Arms to make way for car parking when it applied for planning permission to build a large retail store on the riverside site. In 2005, Rotherham Council refused the plans with one reason for refusal being that the pubs "make a contribution to the streetscene and add to the character of the setting of the listed building."
For these demolition plans advice from the council included concerns that the front façade of the former Alma Tavern was "something that Rotherham planning would probably have to decline the full demolition of," so the compromise that was agreed in principle was to leave the front façade of the building intact but remove the top apex section for safety.
Images: Google Maps
Satnam Urban Regeneration Ltd has recently applied for planning permission to demolish most of the Alma Tavern on Westgate.
Although the building is not listed (unlike the saved and re-opened Cutler's Arms next door), permission is required as it is located in the town centre's conservation area.
Plans state that the proposal would leave the front façade (reduced to first storey window lintel high) to be structurally supported using steelworks. The top apex stone works would be in-tombed on site for possible future use.
The Alma Tavern possesses an attractive and valuable façade, probably the last memory of Rotherham’s earliest commercial brewery, Bentleys, but in 2012 a fire in the roof space caused further damage.
Advertisement
The plans add: "The structure has been subject to multiple fires and has became inhabitable ... the fire damage to the roof has caused large sections of the roof without any covering allowing rain water to enter the building ... this has caused major water damaged to rot through the joists of the first floor which has now fallen to ground level and is leaning on the front facade, this compounded by the foliage growing through the masonry which has removed large sections of mortar has put the building at the point where collapsed [sic] is inevitable."
Developer, Satnam had hoped to demolish the Alma Tavern and Cutler's Arms to make way for car parking when it applied for planning permission to build a large retail store on the riverside site. In 2005, Rotherham Council refused the plans with one reason for refusal being that the pubs "make a contribution to the streetscene and add to the character of the setting of the listed building."
For these demolition plans advice from the council included concerns that the front façade of the former Alma Tavern was "something that Rotherham planning would probably have to decline the full demolition of," so the compromise that was agreed in principle was to leave the front façade of the building intact but remove the top apex section for safety.
Images: Google Maps
5 comments:
Quite a bizzare planning application,what exactly can be built on that tiny site??
what is the planning reference number I cant find anything... how did you find out about this?
RB2021/0491
Hope the front is 'preserved' better than Beatson Clarks frontage at the top of Hollowgate!
It sounds like they are more worried about it collapsing on someone than building anything. Satnam has had the land around there for decades and done very little to regenerate it.
Post a Comment