Developer tries again to demolish Sandwell pub to make way for shop

A developer will try again to demolish a pub to make way for a new shop.

Sandwell Council rejected plans by Sham Singh in 2025 to knock down the Crown Inn, Station Road, Old Hill, for a new shop with the authority saying it would eventually be using the land for new housing or employment.

Mr Singh has resubmitted the planning application arguing Sandwell Council was wrong to reject the new convenience store.

The pub, which closed in June, would be demolished and replaced with a single-storey 338 square metre shop and 10-space car park.

Sandwell Council earmarked the land in Station Road and Waterfall Lane as a potential site for more than 190 homes more than 15 years ago but with the land currently under a range of ownerships and with many looking to redevelop or unwilling to sell, no solid plans are expected to come to light.

A letter included with his appeal said there was “no credible argument” that a new shop conflicted with the council’s planning policies and its planners had ‘recognised themselves’ that 190 homes could not be built on the land in question or the surrounding area.

Mr Singh has already appealed the original rejection by Sandwell Council to the government’s planning inspectors in a bid to get the ruling overturned but has also re-submitted the planning application based on council advice, the application said.

The land is expected to be included for employment use in the council’s updated and much-delayed development plans which remain unpublished following the collapse of the joint Black Country Plan in 2022.

“There can be no doubt that the proposals will support, maintain and help to enhance the wider business and employment function of the area by delivering a high quality local convenience retail offering,” the appeal letter said.

“It has been shown that the appeal proposals meet the key retail tests and, on this basis, the suggestion that the appeal site would also undermine wider employment allocations is, again, without any credible foundation.

“Arguably, it would align closer to the employment policy than the current lawful use of the site.

“Put simply, there is no planning requirement to demonstrate retail need and the inclusion of narrative to this effect as part of the refusal reasons should be afforded no consideration.”

A report by the council’s planners from last year rejecting the application said: “The development would […] undermine allocations for housing and employment land within the borough, resulting in the loss of much-needed available land for such uses, whereas there is no recognised need for additional retail provision in the area which is met by existing retail provision and proximity of the site to a retail centre.”