The Old Roan pub to be demolished as new housing plans approved - what redevelopment could look like

The Old Roan pub in Aintree served its last pint more than ten years ago and the building has lain empty ever since.

Now the inn is set to be demolished after new plans for the site were approved by Sefton Council at a planning Committee meeting held in Bootle Town Hall on Wednesday. The proposed new housing block will include a total of 26 apartments over three floors comprising 11 one bed units and 15 two bed units.

As part of a heritage statement adjoined to the new application, the site is deemed to be in a poor condition and has been vacant for over ten years and no viable alternative use has been found despite attempts. The document states that it would not be feasible to reopen the pub because the “building has fallen into a complete state of disrepair” meaning there is “no viable alternative” other than to knock down and rebuild.

The Old Roan Inn in Aintree was once a thriving public house which first opened its doors in 1908 and the building is considered to be a nondesignated heritage asset (NDHA). It is considered to be a local landmark with a rich history but has been allowed to deteriorate into a state of disrepair since closing for business in 2013.

While the pub’s closure divided opinion in the local area at the time, the building also continued to attract controversy over its dilapidated condition with then landlord Commercial Realty Ltd fined over £16k in 2020 for failing to carry out remedial works at the property. Since then the building has become something of an eyesore and many residents have expressed concerns at the evident neglect of the site.

The building was acquired by 2M Developments Ltd in 2021 who initially applied to Sefton Council for permission to knock down the building and replace it with a three to four storey apartment block with play area and garden on its roof. However, after a follow up assessment, the plans were altered to a three storey build and a new application submitted.

A condition was also proposed during the planning commmittee by Councillor Joe Johnston relating to parking, he asked: “[Regarding] the service area, which is on the other side, there’s no condition in there to make that purely a service area with parking restrictions.”

The council report to the planning committee proposed that elected members approve the planning application from 2M Developments Ltd subject to a Section 106 agreement and the creation of conditions relating to parking in the service area and choice of glazing on the new property.

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