Cambridgeshire city ‘eyesore’ pub could be demolished to make way for new shop

The former pub, which has been closed for more than a decade, has been described by locals as an ‘eyesore’

A former Peterborough pub, described by locals as an “eyesore”, could be demolished to make way for a new shop. A planning application has been submitted to Peterborough City Council for the demolition of the former Golden Lion pub on Church Street in Stanground, which has stood vacant for more than a decade.

Since closing in 2024, the pub has been left abandoned and derelict. People in Stanground have previously raised concerns over the state it has been left in, with some branding it as an “eyesore” in the Peterborough suburb.

A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, previously told CambridgeshireLive that the site is “very messy”. She said: “It’s a complete eyesore. It’s a shame it has been left this way.

“Whenever you drive or walk past it, it’s just not nice to look at. I wish something could be done about it, cause it just gets worse every time you go past it.”

Several planning applications have been submitted for the building since the closure of the pub. A new application, submitted by TYS Retail Ltd, proposes completely demolishing the building to replace it with a ground floor retail shop alongside a residential flat above it.

The applicant describes the building as being in “very poor condition” at the first floor level and is open to the elements where leadwork has been taken from the roof. The statement adds: “This proposal will allow a prominent site to be brought back into use which is also likely to be considered a brownfield site.”

The proposed opening hours would be between 6:30am and 11:30pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 7am to 10:30pm on Sundays and bank holidays. The proposals would likely see 10 full time staff and 20 part time staff for the retail use.