One in three pubs up for sale could be lost

One in three Black Country pubs currently up for sale could be flattened, according to a report from estate agents released today.

Birmingham-based Fleurets have 34 pubs currently for sale in the Black Country but at least 10 of those will be wiped off the map when sold.

It has almost £8 million worth of pubs on offer, many of which have been up for sale for more than a year. Scores of pubs has disappeared in the region in the last five years, many of them knocked down for housing.

With the downturn, a number of pub sites remain empty as redevelopment work has halted until the economy improves.

Fleurets sales associate Andy Tudor today said the pub property market had been harder hit by the recession than other businesses.

He said: "Licensees needed to cope with smoking ban first and then the recession landed.

"Prices of licensed property have fallen quite notably and certain sectors of the market remain very, very difficult - but for the right property we have still been doing brisk business. Around one in three of our sales of pubs are recommended for alternative development."

James Earl, aged 47, runs the Port 'n' Ale pub in Dudley Port, and has campaigned to keep established pubs open.

He said: "It's a real disappointment that so many old pubs will be demolished. Landlords have been hit hard.

"We are part of the community and we can still make pubs a success but we are being squeezed with taxes and the smoking ban."

In Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge there are 11 pubs for sale with a combined value of £2,149,500.

Six pubs are up for sale in the Walsall borough, ranging in price between £145,000 and £300,000.

Wolverhampton has several pubs on the market, including the Forge Hammer in Spring Road, Lanesfield, for £125,000, which is now closed, The Dartmouth Arms in Vicarage Road for £250,000, and The Woodbine, Wood Lane for £335,000.