The landlady of a town centre pub claims she could lose her home and her livelihood if the council's plans are followed through.
Angela Hindley has been at the helm of The Swan Hotel in St Helens town centre for 13 years, having sold her house to take over the pub and moving in upstairs with her son. The 54-year-old now fears she will lose her home and her job if St Helens Council's plans to demolish the pub are carried out.
She told the ECHO: "The council are pushing through a compulsory purchase order so they can demolish the pub as part of their "masterplan" for the town centre.
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"The plans were reported on a lot but it wasn't mentioned that the pub being knocked down was part of it, we all knew the Hardshaw Centre would come down but I wasn't told about us."
St Helens Borough Council aims to overhaul large areas of the town centre over the next couple of decades. The plans seek permission for demolition work to be carried out, as well as permission for a new hotel, residential units, commercial and business space. One of the major aspects of the proposals could see one of the town centre's biggest shopping centres- the Hardshaw Centre- demolished.
The proposed site affected by the plans comprises a large portion of the town centre. Full planning permission is sought for the demolition of: The Hardshaw Centre, St Mary’s Shopping Arcade, market and multi-storey car park, 39-41 Hall Street (Swan Hotel and Town Fryer Fish & Chips shop)
Angela claims she only found out about the plans to demolish her pub through a news article. She added: "I was on holiday in September when a member of staff forwarded an article to me saying the pub would be demolished, that's the first I heard of it."
The compulsory purchase order forms part of the council's regeneration plans for the town centre, and the space where the pub currently stands will reportedly make way for a larger, "improved" bus station.
The decision baffled landlady Angela however. She said: "We've been told the area is a conservation area, and that it's important for any work to be in-keeping with the heritage and culture of the area.
"This pub has been here for 130 years, and never been closed down. I don't see demolishing a 130 year old pub as 'in-keeping with the heritage of the area'."
Angela has now found herself scrambling to find somewhere else for her, her partner, her son, and son's partner to live, in case the plans are carried out. She is attempting to fight the order however, she explained: "We have until January 13 to object to the plans, and we've got 600 signatures so far.
"I'm not going to give up, this is my home, this is my family's home. We serve all walks of life here, old and young come together. For a lot of the older generation, I wonder where will they go if we closed."
Despite this, the council said it cannot find a "viable use" for the pub. A spokesperson for St Helens Borough Council said: “The site of the Swan Public House will form an integral part of delivering the new larger and improved bus station facility and as such will mark an exciting step forward for St Helens town centre. Accordingly, any alternative reuse of the building or the site is not considered to be a viable option.”
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