Calls for village pub to be rebuilt after venue demolished without permission

Frustrated residents have called on Shropshire Council to rebuild The Waggoners Inn at Whixall, near Whitchurch, which was once a popular venue.

The pub was closed suddenly in November 2007 when the previous licensees moved away, and it was then gutted by fire in January 2008.

It was due to be auctioned in May 2008 for a guide price of £90,000 to £120,000, but a sale was agreed. Now residents say the owner has demolished the building without planning permission.

Ben Spruce, whose parents live in Welsh End, Whixall, said: "I used to live in the area and my parents still do. I came to visit and found out the pub had been knocked down.

"The local community would like to see the pub restored in the village and has always supported its restoration.

"Whixall residents have had a local landmark and facility stolen from them. Everyone would like to see it back up and running.

"It is sad – we all hoped it would come back. There are no pubs now within walking distance. It is a shame, when the building was still up we all had hope."

During a meeting of Whixhall Parish Council, Councillor Chris Mellings, Shropshire councillor for Wem, reported on correspondence with Shropshire Council planning department regarding the recent demolition of the Waggoners Inn.

He told the meeting that it is apparent that an application for the prior approval of the demolition should have been submitted for consideration but no application has been made.

He said, however, it is felt that given the poor state of the building and that it represented a danger to the public it is unlikely that the application would have been refused.

It was proposed that parish clerk Katie Hatton would write to Ian Kilby, development manager at Shropshire Council, regarding the matter of the building being demolished without permission.