Petition started by campaigners over Willenhall pub plan
A campaign has been launched to stop an ‘historic’ Willenhall pub on a busy road junction from being converted into a shop.
Bar Investments Ltd have put forward a proposal to Walsall Council planning officers to transform the Bridge Tavern, based on Bentley Lane, into a new convenience store.
But campaigners said the location was the ‘wrong place’ for a shop as the building sits at the road’s well used junction with High Road near a nursery.
They also said converting the pub into a store would strip the building of it’s ‘identity’ and labelled it ‘inappropriate’.
A petition has been set up urging Walsall Council planners to reject the proposal and has already attracted well over 250 signatures in just two days.
Councillor Josh Whitehouse, who started the petition, has also called the application in for it to be considered by the authority’s planning committee.
He said: “As a local councillor for Short Heath I know how important the Bridge Tavern on Lane Head is to our identity.
“The pub has a long history in our area and is in the heart of our community. These proposals would strip the building of its identity.
“Lane Head Bridge is an extremely busy junction, so this is the wrong place for another shop.
“There is a local nursery nearby and the entrance to the car park leads onto Bentley Lane which is also a very busy road.
“I would encourage all residents who are against these proposals to back our campaign by submitting objections to the council and by signing the petition.
“This isn’t just about preserving the heritage of the building for its historic value, it’s also about preventing an already busy junction becoming dangerous – these plans are simply not appropriate.”
People can access the Bridge Tavern petition by visiting https://shorturl.at/duw58.
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