Pub near Shrewsbury set to be demolished for housing over 'decline in pub trade'

The Horseshoe Inn in Pontesbury is subject of an application for demolition with Shropshire Council, after the owner tried for several years to sell it. She is now looking to build four houses in its place.

A planning statement says: "The applicant has owned The Horseshoe Inn, Pontesbury, since 2016.

"However, since the passing of her husband, she has been seeking to dispose of the property. The Horseshoes Inn has therefore been subject of an extensive marketing exercise since August 2018. However, despite a significant reduction in the asking price of the property in February 2020, only four viewings have taken place and no offers have been received.

"The lack of interest in The Horsehoe Inn is symptomatic of the general decline in the UK pub trade which, according to a 2018 Office for National Statistics, has seen almost a quarter of all pubs close between 2008 and 2018. In addition, it is anticipated that the current pandemic is likely to exacerbate problems for the pub trade, with a recent Shropshire Star predicting a ‘wave of pub closures’ in Shropshire as a direct result of the pandemic."

No comments from the public have been uploaded to the planning portal. To view the application and comment, visit the Shropshire Council planning portal, using reference 21/01844/OUT