Plans to demolish former pub for homes

An empty pub in Oldbury could be demolished to make way for new homes.

A planning application to knock down the former Perry Hill Tavern in Perry Hill Road, has been submitted to Sandwell Council.

The application only asks for permission to demolish the pub as a way to stop the dilapidated building from continuing as a focal point for antisocial behaviour but indicates the site would be used for housing.

Early plans to build 34 homes on the land once the pub was demolished were presented to Sandwell Council in the summer.

The application said the move to build the homes would be formally submitted to the local authority “in the not too distant future.”

The empty pub has been the subject of “numerous” complaints and the application asking to demolish the “dilapidated” building has been put forward after contact from the council’s planning enforcement officer. 

The demolition was “an effort to make the site safe and disturbance free as soon as possible” while the housing plans were arranged, the application said.

“The decision to do this has been driven by the fact the empty building has become problematic with criminals breaking in every week and causing disturbance to neighbours and damage to the building,” a statement included with the application said. 

The pub closed last year and has been empty since. 

The application continued: “It no longer furthers the social well-being or interests of the community and has an unrealistic prospect of a future community use.

“As such, the pub is no longer an asset of community value.”