The son of a pub landlady who found out she may lose her home while on holiday said they're "not giving up the fight"
Scott Hindley lives with his mum Angela and partner Amy above The Swan Hotel in St Helens. The 22-year-old said the family haven't even considered their options if forced to leave, as they are "going to fight."
He told the ECHO : "To be honest we haven't even thought about what we will do after, because we're not going to give up. We're going to fight it."
READ MORE: Landlady to be left homeless if much loved pub is demolished
St Helens Council is pushing through a compulsory purchase order for the pub, which it plans to demolish as part of a "masterplan" of regeneration for the town. Council representatives claim the land where The Swan stands will be part of a larger, "improved" bus station.
The decision baffled landlady Angela, who has been at the helm of The Swan for 13 years. She said: "We've been told the area is a conservation area, and that it's important for any work to be in-keeping with the heritage and culture of the area.
"This pub has been here for 130 years, and never been closed down. I don't see demolishing a 130 year old pub as "in-keeping with the heritage of the area."
She added: "I'm not going to give up, this is my home, this is my family's home. We serve all walks of life here, old and young come together. For a lot of the older generation, I wonder where will they go if we closed.
"I was on holiday in September when a member of staff forwarded an article to me saying the pub would be demolished, that's the first I'd heard of it."
Scott, who works as a care home maintenance operator, has set up a petition against the closure, which already has more than 1,200 signatures.
He added: "The council says it wants to listen to the people of its town, I think this is a good time to start, and listen to all the people who want to save the pub. I think the amount of people who have signed already shows how much people care about The Swan."
Despite this, the council said it cannot find a "viable use" for the pub. A spokesperson for St Helens Borough Council said: “The site of the Swan Public House will form an integral part of delivering the new larger and improved bus station facility and as such will mark an exciting step forward for St Helens town centre.
"Accordingly, any alternative reuse of the building or the site is not considered to be a viable option.”
Scott's "Save the Swan" petition can be found here.
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