Battle is lost for historic Market Drayton pub

The Talbot Inn will be turned into two homes after planning officers at Shropshire Council gave their blessing behind closed doors.

It comes despite an 11th-hour attempt by campaigners to halt the project.

Two petitions – one with 296 signatures and another with the support of 101 people – were submitted to the authority the day before the decision to approve the plans was published.

It marks the unsuccessful end of a campaign launched about a year ago by residents to save the pub amid widespread opposition. Campaigners had been hoping to have the pub in Newcastle Road declared an asset of community value to protect it from development.

But owner Lynn Griffiths has been told that the appearance of the building must be in keeping with its current look once it has been converted into two semi-detached homes.

The plans had been backed by Market Drayton Town Council, which said it was keen to see the building retained “in some form”.

The pub had been on the market since 2013 and was bought by Mrs Griffiths in October 2016.

Julie Jones, clerk of Market Drayton Town Council, said: “The council is supporting this conversion, the feeling being that at least if it is converted the building will be kept going in some form.

“That has to be better than losing it entirely.”

One opposing comment submitted by Hugh Otterburn says: “Market Drayton has plenty of space to develop new homes if it so desires.

“Why should we allow the ruin of part of the cultural heritage of this ancient market town and shoehorn a few out of character properties into a landlocked square of land purely for commercial financial gain?

“No consideration has been made by the developers to care for the town’s heritage.”

Many of the comments condemning the development also expressed worries that the old building’s history would not be respected, and the view that the pub could be successful once again if managed properly.

But in November a representative of Berrys, the applicant company, wrote a letter to the council responding to and rebuffing some of the criticism.

The letter said: “Unfortunately it is not possible to roll back the clock. The planning statement addresses changing trading conditions in some detail, and also explores the competing establishments that the Talbot can simply not compete with, both in the town and on the canal.

“It is no longer viable as a commercial establishment. The fact is that the Talbot does not have a water frontage, placing it as a considerable disadvantage relative to competing public houses that do front directly onto the canal.

“One objector notes that the building has been a public house for 170 years and would not want to be the person responsible for ending that. However it is not the proposed development that has ended the use, but the decline in customers over the years.”