Co-op at old Summer House pub site to open in months
A new supermarket which will be built on the site of a historic Black Country pub will cost more than £1 million and will open by February, it has been revealed.
The former Summer House pub on Sedgley Road in Woodsetton was brought down on Monday ahead of a project to build a new Co-op store, despite strong objections from the local community.
WATCH: Councillor Dean Perks talks about the demolition
Source: Last orders for Woodsetton's Summer House pub after bulldozers move in by mnacommercial on Rumble
Dudley Council had initially unanimously refused the planning application but this was later overturned by a planning inspectorate.
The new store will create 20 new jobs and work is now taking place to build the store.
The pub dated back to the late 19th century and was once owned by neighbouring brewery Holdens, before it came into ownership of Marston's.
It was later sold by Marston's to NewRiverREIT, a real estate investment trust.
The company will pay for the build and then lease it out to Co-op.
Upper Gornal and Woodsetton ward councillor Dean Perks said the local community had been against the plans.
He labelled the overruling over Dudley Council's decision to throw out the planning application 'diabolical'.
But a spokesman for the firm said the reaction of the development was not as one sided as councillor Perks had made out.
A spokesman for the firm said: "It is always unfortunate when pubs have to close and we have been able to invest in many viable pubs around the country within our ownership, often creating new community hubs with a pub and new convenience store alongside them.
"In the case of the Summer House, there are several other drinking establishments within the local area and over a long period it was clear that there were simply not enough customers at the pub to sustain it.
"Regrettably, the Summer House did not have a viable commercial future and this was a big factor in the decision of the previous owners Marston’s to sell the property to us.
"During local consultation, there were supporters of the new convenience store who welcomed a modern new community facility as well as the 20 new jobs that will be created.
"The demolition and construction work for this £1.1 million store in Woodsetton commenced last month and the new Co-op is expected to open in February 2018.”
Nearby, an Aldi store was built on the site of the former King Arthur Pub off the Birmingham New Road in October.
