'Loss of public houses is a national concern': Historic pub earmarked for demolition up for sale
An 18th century pub has been put up for sale nine months after council planners gave it the go-ahead for its demolition.
Planners approved outline proposals to bulldoze The Reindeer Inn, at Overton, in May last year to allow houses to be built in its place.
At the time, national heritage groups objected to the scheme, claiming it could set a “legal precedent” for similar historic buildings in the district to be lost.
An application for the housing scheme was put forward in 2024 over concerns the business was ‘not viable’ due to a 60 per cent drop in income since the pandemic.
The property is now being marketed by Leeds-based property consultants Michael Steel and Co, with offers in the region of £625,000 being requested.
A description of the property on the company’s website said the site ‘benefited from outline consent for up to five dwellings.’
It also stated that it was “immediately available for redevelopment” as “the existing public house no longer trades.”
The pub, which dates back to 1704 but is not listed, is thought to have been a coaching inn on the first turnpike between Huddersfield and Wakefield, and was also well-used by miners from the former Caphouse Colliery nearby.
Wakefield Council last year approved the housing scheme, which includes building on land leading down to New Road, part of which is a disused playground, close to the National Coal Mining Museum.
Outbuildings near to the pub, which is within a greenbelt area, are also set to be demolished to make way for the new properties.
A planning officer’s report said at the time: “The proposed scheme would not cause substantial harm to the openness of the green belt and therefore the proposal is not inappropriate development.
“Given the relatively sustainable location of the site in relation to the road network, the location is considered acceptable.”
An objection by the Georgian Group said the building should be considered a “non-designated heritage asset” due to its “considerable historic value.”
Historic Buildings & Places said the Reindeer Inn was clearly marked on early Ordnance Survey maps of the area.
The group said National Coal Mining Museum documents also note the relationship between the inn and the Caphouse miners.
The objection said: “The loss of public houses is a national concern, with CAMRA reporting 1,293 pubs permanently closed in 2023 and 194 were demolished.
“The building is likely to retain much of its 18th century form and materials, despite modernisation and alterations.”
Addressing the concerns, the officer’s report said the development was “acceptable in terms of the setting of adjacent heritage assets.”
It added: “The council has exercised its duty to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting.”
A statement submitted on behalf of the applicant said: “The existing owners have been in situ for over 17 years, but since the pandemic have seen their income drop some 60 per cent.”