A Bristol pub which endured its share of controversy over recent years has been put up for sale for more than half a million pounds. The Criterion, which made headlines after enduring a series of gang fights, machete attacks and stabbings has officially gone on the market with a guide price of £500,000. The pub in Ashley Road, Montpelier will be going on sale by live online auction on October 19.
The sale comes with planning permission to partly demolish and erect a scheme of 5 flats and a commercial unit. The demolition will include the rear part of the Criterion to construct a 3-storey block of five flats and the commercial unit which could be a bar.
Marketed by real estate agency Hollis Morgan, the traditional pub is set to make way for the new development to keep up with wine and club culture- which the agency says is becoming increasingly popular and ‘sophisticated’. A rep has confirmed to Bristol Live that due to the ‘economic and social demand for alternative uses’ of those licensed premises, they believe that The Criterion was an ideal choice.
READ MORE: Bristol sees 157 property sales over £1 million in just 12 months
They added that pub’s location at St. Pauls represents a ‘cosmopolitan and exciting part of the city’ due to its amenities within walking distance, such as the artsy Stokes Croft and the shopping quarter of Cabot Circus. Moreover, the rep states that this demonstrates how the area is rapidly improving to become ‘a mecca for new city dwellers’- with clean air zones coming into operation which aims to make central living healthier.
Auctioneer Andrew Morgan MBE said: “It is great to see these central sites providing much needed residential accommodation, adding to the restoration of the city centre, supporting businesses and adding to the cultural and vibrant life of this famous city of which we are all so proud.”
With an expected gross development value in excess of £1.5 million, Andrew is anticipating that there will be keen bidding when it goes to auction in Hollis Morgan’s next monthly auction. The Criterion had undergone a series of law-breaking incidents that even led to the Avon and Somerset Police challenging to shut the pub in 2019.
Owned by Ann White for 16 years, the pub was regarded as the ‘last community pub’ in St. Pauls and ‘vital’ for people from different generations to ‘meet, dance and play dominoes and pool’. The Criterion gained the support of local residents and organisations alike in maintaining what was dubbed as an ‘important community asset’ in the area.
The Criterion team has declined to comment on The Criterion’s sale and new redevelopments, Bristol Live has reported. For more information regarding the ongoing development, you can visit the Rightmove website by clicking here .
Read next
