Pub demolition begins
Tuesday 24th February 2009, 2:58PM GMT.
A traditional pub, once the base for one of Telford’s top Sunday League football teams, is being reduced to a pile of rubble.
The Champion Jockey pub, Wrekin Drive, Donnington, could soon make way for a £2 million supermarket.
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Bosses from Netto will submit a planning application in the next few weeks and are hoping to win approval from Telford & Wrekin Council.
Meanwhile, demolition men have already moved in and will have the site flattened within a week.
Specialists from Nottingham-based Southwold Demolition are using a grabbing machine, nicknamed Rubber Duck, with a huge hydraulic jaw to nibble away at the structure.
Foreman Ian Cunningham said: “We’ve been stripping out the interior over the past week and started knocking down the building yesterday.
“There’s a two-storey pub, with living quarters above, built about 40 years ago, plus a single-storey function room. We’ll be recycling the aggregates by crushing the bricks and concrete into rubble and using that to backfill the cellar.”
Pensioner Allan Baxter, 70, of Wrekin Drive, who used to be chairman of the now folded Champion Jockey football team, said: “It’s the end of an era.
“I spent many a happy hour drinking there. And as a football team we used to do many things there for charity, as well as having club meetings and presentation evenings.
“I started drinking there 40 years ago when I relocated to Donnington after leaving the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.”
Netto hopes to open the supermarket next year, creating 20 jobs, if planning permission is given.
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I do think this is a terrible shame for the local community however it has not been run successfully as a pub for many years now (attracted a lot of trouble)and it is standing on a prime piece of land (which rarely if ever loses its value) so it really is no wonder the site will be redeveloped and competition is everything in business at the moment.
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Crushed under the heel of successive greedy governments. How is that the Irish can export their bars worldwide to promote their nation yet all we can do is commit ours to the dustbin. The renowned British ‘pub’ was once as much a symbol of our country as roast beef or the bulldog. RIP Pub culture UK.
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Drunk many a good pint in there, another pub bites the dust due to greedy governments and brewerys
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best thing for it should of been demolished years ago, with the rest of the eyesore they call donnington!!
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Why not a Doctors as was originally mentioned by this low life council, a Netto’s are you kidding me. The roads in Donnington are bad enough now. RIP to another pub,what about some local entertainment.And dont worry about the local shops 20 jobs wow I’m impressed not…
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If you dont like Donnington MOVE.
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i used to live there about 15years ago but got out away from the crime, drug dealers,and general scum of the earth people who reside in donnington.and if there putting a NETTO in the place of the jockey well… that says it all really.
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Your comment regarding Donnington, Larry, is staggering in consideration of the fact that you haven’t lived there in 15 years.
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You all need to see the positive out of this, that there will be a cheap supermarket with brand named goods on your doorstep. Opening a supermarket too will create jobs, which in todays climate is very much needed.
There are more than enough pubs/bars in and around the area for you to go to if that really is your main concern!
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I agree with Larry – I live in Donnington and the place has become a hive of (I will let you add what you think). Kocking down Champion Jockey can only be good for the place.
I myself know one of the last landlords of the pub who failed to get the pub going again. The reputation of the CJ as a place where people go to have punch ups never escaped it.
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Donnington is a good place and has changed alot Larry, you’ve been away too long to comment. Good to see this failed pub gone. This will create jobs and some of the elderly and poorer members will not need to to hike up to Asda who are expensive and have oor customer service. The sooner it goes u the better.
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good to knock down the whole i telford i say, the consrvative administration will rebuild the place
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Haven’t been to ‘the Jockey’ for many, many years. I’n the 60ies it was a sort of annex to Donnington youth Club. No trouble and a great place to meet friends. I’m feeling very sad and very old right now.
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