'Shame it could not be saved': Disappointment after Telford pub demolished despite plans to save frontage
Residents are having their say on the demolition of the historic frontage of a Wellington pub after a structural investigation by developers.
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Work is currently underway to construct 11 supported living units on the site of The Lion pub on Whitchurch Road in Wellington.
It had been hoped that the original façade pub, which can be traced back to 1841, could be saved.
But developer Tailored Lifestyle Group (TLG) said that after "years of neglect and structural deterioration" the frontage was "unsafe for restoration" and it was demolished.
Company director Kieran Danby said that preserving the building had been "a priority" but the risk of collapse meant a "difficult decision" had to be made.
He said that plans would be made to rebuild the structure in the same form as the original building with careful replications of the distinctive brickwork features.
Earlier this month, after the demolition, the company submitted a retrospective planning application with the tweaked plans.
Documents state the existing materials were “beyond the serviceable years of their life and are unable to be repurposed”.
The planning application is currently in the consultation phase, with residents able to have their say over the new plans.
One neighbour has already weighed in, simply to say that objecting would be a "pointless exercise" in the aftermath of the demolition.
Wellington Town Council has also submitted an equally brief comment, with a spokesperson writing: "Shame frontage could not be saved."
The consultation closes on May 8, after which a decision on the latest plans will be made by Telford & Wrekin Council planning officers.
The application can be seen online on the council's planning portal using reference number TWC/2025/0258.
