Lichfield’s MP has backed calls for action to be taken on a former city centre pub that has been boarded up for more than a decade.
The one time Prince of Wales on Bore Street has stood empty since it was last used as La Feria.
Lichfield Civic Society said the disused historic building was “a terrible advertisment” for the city.
Now MP Michael Fabricant has joined calls for action to be taken.
“The civic society has rightly pointed out the state of the former listed premises at 4 Bore Street which was once the Prince of Wales pub, before later becoming La Feria.
“This property has lain abandoned for over 10 years.
“I have raised this on a number of occasions with the leader of Lichfield District Council, Cllr Doug Pullen, and I know he shares my frustration over this.”
Michael Fabricant
But Lichfield Live understands action may be forthcoming on the future of the building.
Council officials are expected to serve a legal notice on the owners of the building to access the property to review its current condition in order to assess what steps can be taken.
Mr Fabricant said:
“I gather some officers in the council believe there is nothing than can be done about this property. I disagree.
“Planning laws are available to be used. I will be contacting Simon Fletcher, the chief executive of Lichfield District Council, asking that the council revisits the possibility of exercising a Compulsory Purchase Order to make the property available for redevelopment.
“If not used as a pub, I would have thought it could be used as a restaurant without contravening its potential listed building status and other local planning regulations applicable in that part of Bore Street.
“I agree with the civic society – the state of the building in the historic heart of Lichfield is a disgrace and its owners should be ashamed of themselves.”
Michael Fabricant
Thank you,its about time the Owners of this Historic building,should be BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!!! Shame on leaving this building to DETEREAT!! (Let’s make it a HISTORICL again,so that the people of LICHFIELD could be PROUD OF) THANK YOU.
In all my years of living in Lichfield this has always been derelict. Has Farbricant said anything about it it until now? Absolutely nothing!! The report from the civic society seems to have caused him to say something, but when you look at the report it’s lamenting changes which happened years ago and cannot be undone. Both are completely useless in their own way. Lichfield needs better than our waste of space MP and self appointed guardians of Lichfield’s built environment who criticise years after the damage has been done.
This is all part of the decline in pubs that has been going on for years, I’m afraid. The reasons? The availability of cheap booze at supermarkets, and the smoking ban, and the rise in nightclubs of various kinds. The only way many pubs have survived is by reinventing themselves as restaurants. To single out one pub is to fail to see the big picture. And let’s face it, it’s far from being the only premises lying empty in Lichfield.
They cannot sort the “Birmingham road” site, which the Council own, without taking on a property that the Council do not own, but have been happy to collect monetary dues on the premises.IE: get your own house in order.
Funny that Fabricant has just taken an interest as it has been derelict for donkies years
michael fabricant has raised this issue before. lets hope something is done
It hits the press and Fabricant decides to get involved, this guy would turn up to the opening of an envelope………….
Davidson House is slowly going to rack and ruin and the first house on the left as you enter Boley Park from Cappers Lane looks like a junk yard.
You could fit a good ten granny flats there. I know what’s going to happen now…..
Just across the road is the former library Friary building, sat derelict now for four years. We were told it was being sold to “safeguard” the building, “jewel in the crown to the entrance of Lichfield” what a joke, surrounded by security fencing and overgrown hedges with sale signs for attached developed flats, the price of which are probably taking a hit.
Lichfield, sold to risky companies with no interest in the city except the bottom line.
The Friary is Empty, also Debenhams…..both in decline…..Council officials have issued repair Notices on two properties in the past few years. ( Chasetown);Both properties empty for sometime. No where near as long as this listed building in Lichfield.
Instead of making more granny flats think of the young people/ homeless of Lichfield whom I’m sure would appreciate affordable accommodation in this Tory cost of living crisis!!!
If anyone’s curious, here’s the official Historic England listed building entry for 4 Bore Street:
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1187734?section=official-list-entry
It’s “only” Grade II listed, so it’s not the most significant building in the city – but it would be subject to listed building consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/lbc/). This does potentially complicate building regeneration, but there are plenty of successful examples of listed building regeneration in Lichfield, so it’s hardly insurmountable. And Mr Fabricant is correct to point out that the district council does have some options available to move the issue forward.
Lichfield doesn’t have a population that can turn around problems like this. The workforce is hardly cutting edge or affluent. That’s why there is so little ambition and innovation compared to other cities in the South. We have to accept that we have a huge number of retired pensioners and a council run by dinosaurs.
Here we go again, I guess that his press department get to pick a soft topic for him to whinge about in order to detract away from his obvious failings as an MP. As for “owners should be ashamed of themselves” – that’s a but rich from a man with track record of poor judgement, hysterical Twitter responses and more. As for the building, I couldn’t care less. Maybe a central foodbank would be a good use and Fabricant could open it.
To be Honest. I have now accepted this Building boarded up for years along with other empties , they have all now become part of the showing the acute failures of the Managing Bodies.
Great idea food bank outlet for those depleted Visitors to View on the entrance to Lichfield. .. let’s take off the Rose Coloured Specs.