Developer intends to knock down 177-year-old pub to build houses

Plans published by Wigan council refer to The Red Lion building on Westleigh Lane, Leigh.

GTTD Properties Ltd have applied to pull down the vacant pub building and erect three homes on the plot.

The mid-19th century building , which has accommodation to the upper floors, sits at the junction of Nel Pan Lane.

A design and access report produced on behalf of the applicant states the building is ‘a derelict old and dilapidated detached pub building which has

been vacant for many years, predominantly consisting of hard standing scrub land and gravel with limited shrub vegetation’.

If the plans are approved permission would be in place to build one detached and two semi-detached homes.

A heritage report on the building said: “The building is derelict and has been subject to a number of fires and anti-social, rough sleeping.

“The building appears to have been compromised with widespread roof leakage, structural damage to some room timbers and the attached former small stable completely gutted from fire.

“Overall, the building is in an extremely poor condition.

“The building dates from at least 1849. “It has been suggested that the building is considered to be a building of local interest.

“However, no publicly available local list is available in order to determine its assessment.”

The report examined whether due to its age and local prominence the building could be classed as a non-designated heritage asset (NDHA).

The report concluded: “Taking account of its current condition, I conclude that on heritage grounds, the building has low significance and does not meet

the minimum criteria to be considered as a NDHA.

“It has been structurally compromised in places, the building appears unlikely to be retained within any form of viable development.”

Planners at Wigan council will decide on the plans in the coming weeks.