Court fines brewery over pub renovation

A Shropshire brewery which renovated a dilapidated Grade II listed pub without permission has been fined after a court heard a historic staircase was ripped out without consent.

Market Drayton-based Joules Brewery carried out the work at the Royal Oak pub in Eccleshall, near Newport, even though no planning permission was in place.

The brewery had bought the high street building, planning to renovate and reopen it.

Stafford Borough Council officers received a complaint in February that a Victorian staircase in the listed building had been removed and an outbuilding modified.

Stafford Magistrates Court heard a council officer had e-mailed the brewery to say it was an offence to carry out 'work of alteration, extension or demolition in a listed building' without getting permission.

Joules Brewery had removed some late 20th century panelling, a toilet, the staircase and an enclosure around an outbuilding.

Julie Simpson, prosecuting on behalf of the council, told the court there had been no reason to make the alterations.

Steve Nuttall, director of Joules Brewery, admitted two counts of carrying out work to a listed building and removing parts of it.

In mitigation, he said he had carried out a number of renovations to public houses and always been in close contact with the relevant authorities as project manager.

He also said he understood it was a listed building and would need consent. However, he claimed the council had 'dragged their feet' responding to planning documents.

He said previous visits by the planning officers had not flagged up any issue with the staircase. "We have been fully co-operative with the council at all times," he said.

Magistrates fined the company £1,350 for removing the staircase and ordered it to pay £350 in costs and a £15 victim's surcharge.