We had two local pubs until one of them shut about a year ago. The one that shut was a little rough around the edges and didn’t really keep up with the times which is probably why it wasn’t making money although I quite liked it! It is a listed building (grade II I think) but is now just stagnating with partially boarded up or smashed windows a couple of holes in the roof by the look of it and the general demeanor of a building in full decay. It is so bad that I think it has started to drag the rest of the area down with it – the ole one smashed window leads to more type of behavior. I thought there were laws/rules about keeping properties in a reasonable state of repair but I don’t seem to be able to find anything obvious online. Was wondering who should I pester, cajole and nag to get something done about the place?

Maybe the owners are just leaving it derelict.

After 2 years of “looking” for a tenant landlord they can claim it is not a viable business property, then easily get planning permission to pass change class of use to residential, then BOOM payday.

The planners will think its better converted into flats than a derelict building bringing the area down.

there is a factory near me which is listed and it regularly catches fires and is in a terrible state . Ikea wanted to build a store there but got refused .

been like that for years .

Klinger factory in Sidcup .

there is a factory near me which is listed and it regularly catches fires and is in a terrible state . Ikea wanted to build a store there but got refused .

One like that near me except they wanted to turn it into flats. Got rejected on basis it was a historical building with a local group putting pressure on officials to turn it into some sort of heritage/museum centre. Been on fire that many times they had to demolish it in the end. Was a cracking building as well, what a waste due to a bunch of local history fuds.

what a waste due to a bunch of local history fuds.

The local history fuds burnt it down?

The local history fuds are the worst kind!

It’s not unusual for a pub that’s an attractive building to suddenly become ‘not viable’, and then to be closed and change of use to be sought to turn it into a dwelling.
Someone I know actually did this, hooked up with a woman who owned a pub, used to close it at weekends, bank holidays when it should be busy, then shut it because it ‘wasn’t viable’. Ha! No, of course it wasn’t.
Ultimately got planning for change of use, and sold it for a significant amount of money, due to the south Cotswolds location, near Castle Combe.
Only pub in the village, too.
Loads in Bristol along the A420 into the city are now Tesco Local or whatever.

Someone I know actually did this, hooked up with a woman who owned a pub, used to close it at weekends, bank holidays when it should be busy, then shut it because it ‘wasn’t viable’. Ha! No, of course it wasn’t.
Ultimately got planning for change of use, and sold it for a significant amount of money, due to the south Cotswolds location, near Castle Combe.

A landlord tried to do this with a pub near me. Was a miserable git, kept manky beer, closed early and generally dissuaded customers. As a pub, even a going concern it was worth maybe £250k; as a private house it was possibly worth a million, even ten years ago. (Three horseshoes, Thursley, Surrey) He tried to argue that the pub wasn’t a going concern as there was no custom. The villagers persuaded the planners otherwise and formed a company to buy the pub. It’s now thriving; good food but still a proper pub. Best to stop on the way down from the Punchbowl, not on the way up…

There are a few community run pubs in N Lakes – involves co-operation, effort and fund raising though. Great for the ‘feel’ of the places involved though, and property values I’m sure.

A pub near me has recently been demolished.

It was up for sale about 3-4 years ago with a full licence but no one took it as a pub, it got bought as residential but there was a clause that it had to remain a pub.

Left to rack and ruin, not viable to maintain, bulldozers in, flats now being built.

Listed?
Urgent works notice, perhaps?

Thanks for the posts. Encouraging that it may just be a transition from pub to something else. Will have a look at the urgent works notice – watch out local councillors here I come!!