Plans to demolish a public house and replace it with a residential development have been approved by the Northern Planning Committee.
New Moor GB Ltd has been granted permission to replace The Riflemans Arms on Moor Lane with 8 dwellings, consisting of two blocks of 4 mews houses. Each property will have two parking spaces, located in a small parking court to the rear, and a private garden.
Councillor Gary Barton requested that the application be determined by Northern Planning Committee stating "I believe that there is a public interest case to be heard as this application will result in the loss of a local asset. The application will also increase parking problems in the area as it will result in the loss of off-road parking spaces currently in use on the site."
Wilmslow Town Council recommend refusal of this application on the grounds of overdevelopment of the site and being out-of-keeping with the streetscene and that the proposed buildings will be overbearing on neighbouring properties due to their height.
The Northern Planning Committee voted in favour of the plans by eight votes to three (one member abstained from voting) on Wednesday, 12th July.
Comments
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I imagine the loss of this regular income contributed to the downward path the pub has taken over the years. Also the loss of local brewer Boddinton's and the sale of all their houses has not helped.
The Farmer's was a devout temple to Boddies' when JW Lees brought it from Punch Taverns (booo!!) and the general feeling was that they would never convert the drinkers to Lees'. The latter had to buy The Cream of Manchester from a local brewery (Hydes, who were brewing it at the time) which was NEVER done.
12 months later, they'd diminished purchases of Boddies to next to nothing, less than 1 x 9 gallon (72 pints) while total volume had increased slightly.
What has more than likely killed the Rifleman's is unrealistically high business rates, rent paid to the pubco, and the artificially high and uncompetitive prices the pub would pay for the beer from the pubco, to whom they were tied to so purchasing.
I had great expectations of the latest managers, when we visited just after they arrived the place was pretty good; shame the cycle seems to be repeating itself.
I now live in Cornwall & similar things are happening down here but it is always harder when you hear about places that you lived & worked in that are being lost for ever.
I still live locally but must admit I've been in there for a long time.
!!! [Not ! ]