Shock and dismay as 300-year-old Skem Hall is demolished
ACOUNCIL has condemned the ‘unauthorised’ demolition of an historic, Grade II listed building in Skelmersdale and said it is seeking legal advice.
Residents in Ashurst in Skelmersdale woke up to find bulldozers suddenly moving in last Saturday (May 7) on the former Toby Tavern Bar and Grill.
The 300-year old Grade II Listed building, had been hit by a huge fire on March 4, which saw fire crews attending the former pub off Ashley Road, Skelmersdale and battling through the night.
West Lancashire Borough Council says it was in discussions with the developer after the fire devastated parts of the building, leaving windows, roof and large parts of the walls gone.
A joint investigation was launched in March by police and fire service, with the blaze being treated as suspicious.
Yet residents were shocked to discover that the building had been reduced to rubble on Saturday.
And the council says discussions with the developer were aimed at ‘restoring the building and bringing it back into use,’ and says any work required Listed Building Consent.
The historic building had been at the centre of a planning application submitted in June last year which, if approved, would have seen the demolition of existing barn outbuilding and the renovation and conversion of the Grade II Listed building to offices, a kitchen and bistro and multi use space on the first floor in a proposed extra-care living building.
But the plans, put forward by Cheshire-based applicant SEP Construction Services Ltd, which also included a new building containing 60 apartments split across the ground, first and second floors, a communal lounge for residents, a salon, a guest suite and a staff room, were withdrawn later in March after the fire.
The proposals had promised to demolish all existing buildings on site, ‘with the only exception being the Grade II Listed building.’
At the time of the application last June, documents submitted had warned of the risks of structural defects and the threat of vandalism, and a heritage report had highlighted the historic nature of the former Skelmersdale Hall, dating from 1712.
The documents said the building had been extended and altered, with its rural setting having been absorbed by the new town and had been last used as a public house before being abandoned.
Now an independent councillor and the council itself have warned that the demolition of the building was not authorised.
In a statement, West Lancashire Borough Council said: “We are deeply disappointed to hear that the Old Toby Inn, a Grade II listed building, has been demolished by the owner.
“The Council had been in discussions with the developer, following the fire at the site, with a view to restoring the building and bringing it back into use.
“This was to be assessed through a listed building application, prior to any works being undertaken.
“The Council had clearly stated that demolition of the building was not considered acceptable and had outlined its expectations that any work to the listed building required Listed Building Consent.
“Whilst a Demolition Order was received a short time before the demolition took place, this does not remove the requirement to apply for Listed Building Consent.
“The demolition was unauthorised and therefore, a breach of planning law has taken place. Legal advice is currently being obtained to ensure that those responsible are held to account.”
Their concerns were echoed by independent councillor James Upjohn who said: “The planning department has said that the hall is of significant value to the town, and is remembered by some of our oldest residents; it has been there longer than the town.
“The developers need to learn that they can’t do what they want and get away with it and the council should do everything in their power to make an example of them if, indeed, they acted unlawfully. You can’t just go around demolishing Grade II listed buildings because you feel like it; if this has been unlawful, we should use the full force of every law that’s available to the council.”
Lancashire Police said yesterday that an investigation into the fire in March was still ongoing.
Agents Grimster Planning Ltd, who had been acting on behalf of applicant SEP Construction Services Ltd who withdrew their planning application in March, were contacted for an updated comment.