Derelict Willenhall pub set to stay empty as vets plan pulled
The future of a dilapidated Willenhall pub site has been thrown into uncertainty again after a veterinary practice cancelled plans to develop it.
Cavan Vets was granted planning permission by Walsall Council in July to demolish the Brown Jug in Sandbeds Road and replace it with a brand new practice.
But it has now emerged Cavan has shelved those plans and is believed to have turned its focus on an alternative site nearby, leaving the Brown Jug undeveloped.
Members of the Short Heath branch of the Labour Party have demanded that the authority pursue a compulsory purchase order to take control of the site and secure it.
The Brown Jug has been empty for more than a decade and concerns have been raised about the safety of the building which is in poor condition.
Ward councillors Bal Chatta and Sarah-Jane Cooper, along with Stuart Lloyd of Cavan Vets, collected a 1,600-name petition in 2018 calling on Walsall Council to use CPO powers to acquire it.
When the planning permission was granted, Walsall Council bosses hailed it as great news that will see the eyesore finally removed. They added a CPO would be considered to ensure the Cavan Vets development would proceed.
But, following the latest twist in the saga, Short Heath Labour’s Mish Rahman said: “The council regularly uses enforcement powers and CPOs on problem sites across the town – why not in Short Heath?
“Walsall Council has responsibility and powers to put an end to years of indecision and inaction. Just get the job done!”
Walsall Council deputy leader Adrian Andrew said: “We can confirm that whilst the planning permission for Cavan Vets development of the site was granted, there is no obligation on the developer to implement the permission.
“Council officers are in contact with the owner of the site to ensure that safety measures are upheld to maintain public safety. The site was recently monitored by the council and is secure.
“The council will continue to explore new avenues to get the site redeveloped and we do not rule out a Compulsory Purchase Order on the site.
“The building will continue to be monitored and if public safety becomes an issue then there are further powers that the council can explore to secure the safety of the site,” he added.
