(Updated story to clarify ‘listing’ status): Planning Resource reports that Save Britain’s Heritage (SAVE) has failed in a High Court action to block the demolition of some of Lancaster’s earliest surviving industrial buildings.
Mitchell’s Brewery, which is off Moor Lane in the centre of the city, was largely designed by W A Deighton in 1901 who was also responsible for the Grade II-listed Cook Street Brewery in Salford.
Demolition is backed by both the Council and the secretary of state for communities and local government.
However, the Brewery is still listed thanks to English Heritage, which gives it legal protection from demolition until listing is removed.
• Read the full report on the Planning Resource web site (subscription required)
Never mind your history and the history of Lancaster, Mitchell's – hop into bed with a clone-town developer and pocket the pieces of silver…
They should be ashamed of themselves and I'll be avoiding Mitchell's pubs from now on – fortunately they have run their business so badly there are hardly any left, so it won't be a very difficult job.
There's a good example of Mitchell's business acumen in the closure of The Elms Hotel. Mitchell's said there was no place in the hotel market in Morecambe – yet within 6 months Travelodge come along to build two in both towns! Sure, Travelodge cater a different type of 'clientèle' but The Elms was a nice hotel with a dedicated staff – Food wasn't brilliant but it deserved more. I would guess that Mitchell's just want to become another Whitbread – no longer selling beer but just playing the property market. Anyway – why didn't they sell off the Brewery when they first closed it and we weren't in recession? They couldn't organise a………