Councillors have voted unanimously to try to prevent a historic pub in Timperley from being bulldozed. A company wants to demolish the now derelict Pelican Inn and the adjoining Altrincham Lodge hotel on Manchester Road and replace them with a care home and apartment block.
The Greene King pub closed in July 2020 and never reopened. The time span for New Care (Altrincham) Ltd's application to be considered by Trafford planning and development committee lapsed recently because of an administrative backlog.
This has prompted the company to appeal against the authority's "non-determination" of the application and could now be decided by a government planning inspector. Councillors on the committee last night (Thursday, June 9) voted unanimously they would've refused the application had they been able to determine it.
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The proposal is for two separate buildings - a 75-bed care home for residents of "all dependency levels" and a 22-home apartment block - on the L-shaped site.
It has sparked objections from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and conservationists describing the pub, designed by renowned architect George Wescott and built in 1931, as a "non-designated heritage asset".
The Tudor rivial style building replaced The Old Pelican Hotel - known to have stood there from the early 19th century. And a coaching inn is understood to have occupied the site from at least the 17th century.
In their report to the committee planning officers said The Pelican Inn "is significant for its architectural, archaeological and historic values".
They also say that there would be an "insufficient contribution" towards affordable housing provision in the plan and that the proposed development would be out of character with the surrounding area.
The officers say the loss of the pub - a community facility - would be "without appropriate justification".
It was also revealed there is a current over-supply of care beds in the Trafford borough with some 288 places vacant.
An extra care home would also put pressure on GP services in the area.
Across the committee, there was general criticism of the proposal.
Coun Daniel Chalkin said: "I'm really disappointed by this proposal. As a design, I don't like it and I completely agree with our officers."
His colleague Daniel Bunting concurred saying: "The design is shockingly awful. It's another large ugly building."
But he went on to say "the idea that the building is going to be viable as put in that form is wrong".
"I think anyone waxing lyrical about what a wonderful heritage asset the Pelican Inn is would be on shaky ground."
However, Coun Meena Minnis said: "The building is a landmark. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have been in the Pelican and I think it could be brought back into use.
"Knocking it down and replacing it with a monstrosity is not the way to go."
Vice-chairman of the committee Coun Barry Winstanley said: "If we are going knock down this much-loved asset, it's going to have to be a much better scheme than this."
Coun Louise Dagnall added: "I'm quite fond of the Pelican, and it's in the heart of the area.
"I'm not much of a pub-goer myself but we are now lacking public houses. It's a place where people with nowhere else to go and walk to - a community space where people can interact."
