Landmark Wolverhampton pub could be torn down to make way for housing

The Claregate pub in Codsall Road is under threat after it emerged owner's Marston's were planning a consultation over the future of the site.

Brewery bosses want to sell the land to a firm of housing developers.

They have contacted members of the Tettenhall District Community Council to set the wheels in motion for a large scale community consultation.

But the plan has been met with an angry response from residents, many of whom are concerned about the number of pubs being shut down in the area.

In recent years Tettenhall has lost The Shoulder of Mutton in Tettenhall Wood, which was bulldozed and turned into houses.

And a similar fate awaits the 19th century Mitre Inn on Lower Green.

In 2013 Tesco built an Express store on the pub's car park despite two petitions and several hundred objections against the scheme.

A campaign group called Residents Against Marston's Proposals (RAMP) was set up to oppose the building of the store.

It was eventually given the green light in November 2012 on the conditions that the store closed at 10pm and that a crossing was installed between the site and the children's play area opposite.

As part of the deal Marston's Brewery vowed to give the pub a revamp, but the plans have now been put on indefinite hiatus.

Cyril Randles, of the Tettenhall District Community Council, said: "We have been approached by the developers to assist them with the launch of a public consultation.

"But they have to be prepared for some concern from residents.

"This is a popular pub. The area has already lost pubs and there will be some degree of opposition to this one being replaced by housing.

"The building of the store on the car park was hugely controversial, but people were partly satisfied by the promise that improvements would be made to the pub.

"Now it seems that is not going to happen. This is bound to raise a few eyebrows."

Last year Marston's sold off 202 of its pubs in a £90m buy-to-lease deal.

One of the pubs, the Ashmore Inn on Griffiths Drive, Ashmore Park, was saved from demolition when residents successfully fought to register it as a community asset.

Real ale group CAMRA says that 31 British pubs are closing a week, while in suburban areas 3 per cent of pubs shut in the first half of last year.