Plans to demolish historic Welsh pub to make way for convenience store

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter
A historic Welsh pub built in the Victorian era may be demolished to make way for a convenience store if plans are approved.
The Black Horse, on the corner of Mold Road and Ffordd Argoed in Buckley, closed its doors for the last time in March.
Plans have now been submitted to Flintshire County Council to demolish it to make way or a modern convenience store with 13 parking spaces on the site.
Value
Built in the early 1800s, the imposing Victorian pub has a number of original features including decorative external brickwork and original open fire hearths.
But the structure is not a listed building and is not within a conservation area.
According to Edgeplan, the agent operating on behalf of owner Thistlewood Properties Ltd, the pub has no identified historic value.
“The existing public house will be demolished, however the building has no historic value and the use has now ceased,” it wrote in a covering letter alongside the application.
“The redevelopment of the site offers an improvement in terms of design. The structure is designed to look and function as a modern retail development and the high quality design and selection of materials will serve to integrate it into its surroundings.
“The proposal offers an effective design solution to the provision of a convenience unit on the site, involving the use of high-quality materials including render and feature stonework to building elevations.”
The planning consultation is open until June 6.
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The erasing of history continues.
Apart from being old, in what way is this a “historic Welsh pub”? Seriously? A bit of pretty brickwork and a nice fireplace does make for a good-looking, welcoming pub (certainly better than some of these soulless chain-pubs that crop up everywhere) but that doesn’t make a place “historic” or give cause to lead to hand-wringing if it should close. Clearly, a pub is no longer what the local community needs and, from the sound of it, someone’s done the research to suggest that it’s financially worth their while to clear the site and put a convenience store there…which suggests… Read more »