A group of property developers have been ordered to rebuild a Grade II-listed pub that they demolished without permission.
The historic Punch Bowl Inn at Hurst Green, Lancashire, needs to be rebuilt brick by brick within a year, a judge has ruled.
Last year, a trial at Burnley magistrates court found five people guilty of the illegal demolition in June 2021 of the pub, which was built in the 1700s and was well known for its association with the famous highwaymen Dick Turpin and Ned King. King was executed in 1741 and his ghost was said to haunt the pub.
The court heard how there had been no need to demolish the building, despite the defence’s claim that it was structurally unsound, and that one of the developers had been warned that the demolition would be illegal.
The defence said they had been concerned the pub, which had been derelict since 2012, would collapse and could fall into the road. They said they had spoken to the council, Historic England and experts about what to do but “nobody was helping”.
In the years running up to the demolition, emergency services had been called a number of times when people set fires inside the building.
Andrew Donelan, Nicola Donelan, Rebecca Donelan, David Cotterell and Brian Ingleby are also required to pay a combined £70,000 in fines and court costs.
They must go through the rubble of the pub with experts to see which materials might be salvageable and submit this to the council before rebuilding.
Any materials that are missing will need to be sourced and approved by the council.
The developers have estimated a cost of £1.5m to rebuild the site to its original specifications.
During the trial, Killian Garvey, representing the council, said it understood the family would face high costs after the order to rebuild the pub and that this could be taken into account in the fine.
Garvey said: “Given the defendants have to rebuild the building, we understand they will have financial burdens in that effect.
“That will also reinstate some of the planning harm that has been caused. The council would say that a listed building that has been demolished and rebuilt will not have the same character as if it were just left.”
District Judge Alex Boyd said the ruling would act as a deterrent to others considering illegal demolitions. “The purpose of these requirements is to protect the building for current and future generations to enjoy.”
