Plans to turn pub into community centre dealt blow

A £500,000 project by a local church to transform the Golden Cross pub in Netherton into a modern community centre was revealed last year.

Members of Primrose Hill Congregational Church held talks with the pub's owners last year about taking over the establishment and turning it into a community hub.

But the new application to build homes on the site of the watering hole appears to have left that scheme dead in the water.

Church leader Hayley Ball said she was saddened to hear the news.

She said: "Naturally we're disappointed because we did pursue it and we were praying hard and thinking we might be able to get it.

"We were hoping to turn it into a community hub with lots of things there for the community.

"But if it's going to be turned into homes then that's something that's out of our control."

Hayley said church leaders had held serious discussions about taking over the venue but had not reached the stage of sorting out finances.

"Whatever we were willing to pay we would've had to get through funding," she said.

"We didn't get that far with the financial side but we did have conversations about what we would do with the centre."

Vandals have destroyed much of the inside of the pub, which stands at the corner of Cradley Road and Saltwells Road.

Bar areas have been smashed and ripped out, windows and ceilings been damaged and arsonists have tried to set fires inside.

Church members saw potential in the old building and envisaged it becoming a home for various events as a focal point to bring all sections of the community together.

They drew up ideas for the building involving a complete makeover so it could be used for years to come.

There were hopes the project would lead to more volunteers wanting to get on board to help manage and operate the community centre.